Pete Francis Heimbold
Encyclopedia
Pete Francis Heimbold is a solo musical artist formerly of the bands Dispatch
, Woodriver Bandits
and Hermit Thrush
. He plays guitar, bass, and is a singer/song-writer. Francis pursued a successful musical career with the independent band Dispatch for eight years, until their breakup in 2002, and is now continuing to write, play, and record solo. He draws his inspiration from his studies of poetry, art, and music from around the world. The style of his music takes on aspects of folk, pop, soul, and rock.
. The album features popular songs such as "Burning the River" and "Carry You", which were then performed by Dispatch
live in concert before their break-up in 2002.
After Dispatch, Francis was signed by major label Hollywood Records
. He released the album Untold in 2003, which received critical praise and saw success at radio with songs "One Train" and "Untold". Coming from a history of being fiercely independent, and largely successful in that mold, Francis was unhappy with the promotion of Untold. He purchased the album back from Hollywood Records and has continued releasing albums independently ever since.
In 2004, Francis released Good To Finally Know. The album showed his combination of straight folk songs, such as "Town On Top Of Town", mixed with upbeat organ-heavy jam rock songs, such as "Low Sun". Dispatch got together to play their "Last Dispatch" concert in Boston, at this time, with over 110,000 attendees unexpectedly showing up, shutting down Storrow Drive
, a major expressway in the city. The band played the song "Ride a Tear" off of Good To Finally Know and can be found on the Dispatch CD and DVD All Points Bulletin
.
Francis took the next few years off the road. He returned in 2008 with the album Iron Sea and the Cavalry, touring the US both as a headliner and with artists such as Rusted Root
and The Greyboy All Stars. He found a home in the summer festival circuit performing at 10,000 Lakes Festival
, Summerfest
, Mountain Jam
and many others.
Francis is set to release his new album The Movie We Are In May 18, 2010. Whereas Francis’ previous solo albums were largely self-produced, he uprooted his more traditional approach to album-making and assembled an entirely new crew with Los Angeles based producer Jeff Trott (right hand man to Sheryl Crow
as writer and guitarist).
Says Francis, “In the past I’ve worked with acoustic guitar, bass, drums, B3 organ, but I wanted to bring a modern electronic element into my music. When first speaking with Jeff Trott, I quickly realized he had great musical instincts and that he was getting my tunes. And then, he brought ideas to the table that I hadn’t imagined. I saw a new musical landscape could be created with my songs by working with him.”
The musicians that Trott assembled for the recording sessions helped to create this colorful landscape. Having worked with artists such as Beck, Nine Inch nails, Gnarls Barkley, Willie Nelson, Queens of the Stone Age, Dr. Dre, and Scott Weiland, the musicians (Brian LeBarton
, Justin Meldal-Johnsen
, John O’Brien, Victor Indrizzo
and others) provided an extraordinary musical palette of talent and sensibility.
When asked about the project, Trott says, “It really became apparent to me that Pete was a very creative and colorful song-writer. What I liked was that there was this very good sense of Pete’s personality from happy go lucky to dark and brooding. All these aspects were amazing to work with and the lyrics were very colorful. I think that’s one of the things I really enjoy about Pete’s songs… that it’s sometimes hard to really figure out what the meanings are and I think that’s missing in a lot of music - the mystery of what a song is.”
The opening track, “Glue”, generates a feeling of weightlessness by combining organic instrumentation with futuristic sounds. This song solidly represents what’s to follow on the album’s consistent mix of fresh and classic, electronic and acoustic, known and unknown… Each listen unlocks a new guitar lick, synth riff, bass groove, drum program, live drumbeat or horn swell, and even the sounds of the sparsely used Ethiopian instrument cumbus. Midway through the album, the listener gets catapulted into the up-tempo and joyous revelry of “Love Shakes You Down” a sing-a-long with the familiar bell sounds of Motown combined with a string synth creating a modern and retro sound all at once. The slower, more melodic songs of the album like “St. Paul’s Fair” and “Didn’t Know I Built It” lure the listener into dream-states with rich deep vocals, sampled sounds from a town square in Italy, trance-like Wurlitzer pedaling, and vivid lyrics.
Effects
Dispatch (band)
Dispatch is an American indie/roots band. The band consists of Brad Corrigan , Pete Francis Heimbold , and Chad Urmston ....
, Woodriver Bandits
Woodriver bandits
Woodriver Bandits was founded in the year 1993 as a project of Brad Corrigan, who was a student at the Middlebury College in Vermont. After Tape 1993 was recorded Brad was informed by a friend that someone at his school played guitar very well and suggested he meet Pete Heimbold...
and Hermit Thrush
Hermit Thrush (band)
Hermit Thrush was an American indie rock band started by Pete Heimbold and Chad Urmston in 1995 while they were students at Middlebury College. The band was only active for a short time when they joined forces with Brad Corrigan of Woodriver Bandits to create One Fell Swoop...
. He plays guitar, bass, and is a singer/song-writer. Francis pursued a successful musical career with the independent band Dispatch for eight years, until their breakup in 2002, and is now continuing to write, play, and record solo. He draws his inspiration from his studies of poetry, art, and music from around the world. The style of his music takes on aspects of folk, pop, soul, and rock.
Biography
New York City based singer-songwriter, Pete Francis, put out his first solo album So They Say in 2001, before the disbanding of DispatchDispatch (band)
Dispatch is an American indie/roots band. The band consists of Brad Corrigan , Pete Francis Heimbold , and Chad Urmston ....
. The album features popular songs such as "Burning the River" and "Carry You", which were then performed by Dispatch
Dispatch (band)
Dispatch is an American indie/roots band. The band consists of Brad Corrigan , Pete Francis Heimbold , and Chad Urmston ....
live in concert before their break-up in 2002.
After Dispatch, Francis was signed by major label Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
. He released the album Untold in 2003, which received critical praise and saw success at radio with songs "One Train" and "Untold". Coming from a history of being fiercely independent, and largely successful in that mold, Francis was unhappy with the promotion of Untold. He purchased the album back from Hollywood Records and has continued releasing albums independently ever since.
In 2004, Francis released Good To Finally Know. The album showed his combination of straight folk songs, such as "Town On Top Of Town", mixed with upbeat organ-heavy jam rock songs, such as "Low Sun". Dispatch got together to play their "Last Dispatch" concert in Boston, at this time, with over 110,000 attendees unexpectedly showing up, shutting down Storrow Drive
Storrow Drive
Storrow Drive is a major cross town expressway in Boston, Massachusetts, running south and west from Leverett Circle along the Charles River. It is a parkway—it is restricted to cars; trucks and buses are not permitted on it...
, a major expressway in the city. The band played the song "Ride a Tear" off of Good To Finally Know and can be found on the Dispatch CD and DVD All Points Bulletin
All Points Bulletin (album)
All Points Bulletin is a 2004 live album by American indie/roots folk band Dispatch. Much like their previous live album Gut the Van, the album was released onto two discs...
.
Francis took the next few years off the road. He returned in 2008 with the album Iron Sea and the Cavalry, touring the US both as a headliner and with artists such as Rusted Root
Rusted Root
Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their unique fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, and Indian influences...
and The Greyboy All Stars. He found a home in the summer festival circuit performing at 10,000 Lakes Festival
10,000 Lakes Festival
The 10,000 Lakes Festival was an annual four-day music festival in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, at the Soo Pass Ranch that was held since 2003. 10KLF is currently on hiatus due to financial losses and was not held in 2010. Its name refers to Minnesota's nickname, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes"...
, Summerfest
Summerfest
Summerfest is a yearly music festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from late June through early July, usually...
, Mountain Jam
Mountain Jam (festival)
Mountain Jam is a three-day music festival in upstate New York, held at the world class Hunter Mountain ski resort the weekend after Memorial Day. In its short history, Mountain Jam has become one of the top music festivals in the U.S. and the premier festival in the Northeast. Rolling Stone...
and many others.
Francis is set to release his new album The Movie We Are In May 18, 2010. Whereas Francis’ previous solo albums were largely self-produced, he uprooted his more traditional approach to album-making and assembled an entirely new crew with Los Angeles based producer Jeff Trott (right hand man to Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
as writer and guitarist).
Says Francis, “In the past I’ve worked with acoustic guitar, bass, drums, B3 organ, but I wanted to bring a modern electronic element into my music. When first speaking with Jeff Trott, I quickly realized he had great musical instincts and that he was getting my tunes. And then, he brought ideas to the table that I hadn’t imagined. I saw a new musical landscape could be created with my songs by working with him.”
The musicians that Trott assembled for the recording sessions helped to create this colorful landscape. Having worked with artists such as Beck, Nine Inch nails, Gnarls Barkley, Willie Nelson, Queens of the Stone Age, Dr. Dre, and Scott Weiland, the musicians (Brian LeBarton
Brian LeBarton
Brian Manuel LeBarton is a keyboardist, composer, and electronic musician from Los Angeles, California.-Work with Beck:Brian LeBarton is the keyboardist and musical director for Beck...
, Justin Meldal-Johnsen
Justin Meldal-Johnsen
Justin Meldal-Johnsen is an American musician and bassist, best known for his work with Grammy Award-winning artist Beck. He served as the touring bassist for Nine Inch Nails during their final tours.-Recording career:...
, John O’Brien, Victor Indrizzo
Victor Indrizzo
Victor Indrizzo is an American session musician, primarily known for playing the drums, as well as a songwriter and producer.Indrizzo was born in Freeport, Long Island, New York...
and others) provided an extraordinary musical palette of talent and sensibility.
When asked about the project, Trott says, “It really became apparent to me that Pete was a very creative and colorful song-writer. What I liked was that there was this very good sense of Pete’s personality from happy go lucky to dark and brooding. All these aspects were amazing to work with and the lyrics were very colorful. I think that’s one of the things I really enjoy about Pete’s songs… that it’s sometimes hard to really figure out what the meanings are and I think that’s missing in a lot of music - the mystery of what a song is.”
The opening track, “Glue”, generates a feeling of weightlessness by combining organic instrumentation with futuristic sounds. This song solidly represents what’s to follow on the album’s consistent mix of fresh and classic, electronic and acoustic, known and unknown… Each listen unlocks a new guitar lick, synth riff, bass groove, drum program, live drumbeat or horn swell, and even the sounds of the sparsely used Ethiopian instrument cumbus. Midway through the album, the listener gets catapulted into the up-tempo and joyous revelry of “Love Shakes You Down” a sing-a-long with the familiar bell sounds of Motown combined with a string synth creating a modern and retro sound all at once. The slower, more melodic songs of the album like “St. Paul’s Fair” and “Didn’t Know I Built It” lure the listener into dream-states with rich deep vocals, sampled sounds from a town square in Italy, trance-like Wurlitzer pedaling, and vivid lyrics.
Discography
- 2001: So They SaySo They Say (record album)So They Say Is Pete Francis's first solo album. So They Say features acoustic music with some pop influence, similar to many of the earlier works of his former band, Dispatch. Songs "Burning the River" and "Carry You," were, in fact, often played together with Dispatch, and "Carry You" was...
- Scrapper Records - 2003: UntoldUntoldIn 2003, Pete Francis released Untold, an album that looked into Pete's rock side more than So They Say had. Untold featured tracks like Burning the River, which was originally written for Dispatch, but stirred argument from the drummer/vocalist Brad Corrigan...
- Scrapper Records - 2004: Good To Finally KnowGood to Finally KnowPete Francis released the album Good To Finally Know in 2004, the same year as Dispatch's historic last concert. Good To Know was similar to the albums released before it.-Track listing:#Stars over the Country - 4:23#Ride a Tear - 4:41...
- Scrapper Records - 2006: Everything Is One- Scrapper Records
- 2008: Iron Sea and the CavalryIron Sea and the CavalryPete Francis recorded Iron Sea and the Cavalry in 2007. It was released on March 18, 2008.-Track listing:#"Johnny Ocho's Lullaby"#"Armies of Angels"#"Carousel"#"Carnival"#"Shooting Star and the Ambulance"#"Case of Bad Love"#"Let It Go"...
- Scrapper Records - 2009: Wake the Mountain w/Barefoot Truth- Scrapper Records
- 2010: The Movie We Are In- Scrapper Records
Equipment
Instruments- ModulusModulus GuitarsModulus Guitars is an American manufacturer of musical instruments, most notably bass guitars built with carbon fiber necks. The company, originally called Modulus Graphite, was founded in part by Geoff Gould, a bassist who also worked for an aerospace company in Palo Alto, California.The name may...
Bass - 1979 Fender TelecasterFender TelecasterThe Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
- 1980 GibsonGibson Guitar CorporationThe Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
335 electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - 1930's National ResonatorResonatorA resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance or resonant behavior, that is, it naturally oscillates at some frequencies, called its resonant frequencies, with greater amplitude than at others. The oscillations in a resonator can be either electromagnetic or mechanical...
- 1940 GibsonGibson Guitar CorporationThe Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
135 Jazz Box - CollingsCollings GuitarsCollings Guitars is an Austin, Texas based stringed instrument manufacturer. Founded by Bill Collings in 1973, Collings today produces acoustic guitars, electric guitars, archtop guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles.- History :...
D-1 acoustics - Noise Iconoclast Amplifier
Effects
- Boss TU2 Chromatic Tuner
- Fulltone Clyde Wah Deluxe
- Fulltone OCD Overdrive
- Boss Analog Delay
Official
- Pete Francis website
- http://www.jugendschrift.de/inhalte/pete.html