Pete Francis (b. 1975)

Store
Tour
Bio
Newsletter

“A Pete Francis record feels like a ride from New York City to the coast of Maine.”

American Musician, Writer, Poet, Singer-Songwriter, Founding member of Dispatch

📲 Text me: +1 (772) 275-3017

 



“Let’s meet up in the city, walk for miles looking pretty”

Neon Light Blind
Pete Francis

1. Smile
2. Love Saves Us All
3. Shine
4. Forever Girl
5. Honestly
6. Smile (feat. Green Lion Crew) - One Sweet Dub
7. Smile (feat. Don Camel) - Dub Everyday Mix

Year: 2024

Stream on all platforms 


With Neon Light Blind, I wanted to write from my heart to other people’s hearts in the most direct way possible. There were five CDs in rotation for much of my childhood: Bob Marley Legend, Van Morrison's, Moondance, Dire Straits first album, and Joni Mitchell’s Blue. We sailed in the Caribbean with my Dad at the helm all around St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On one trip, Grenada was the final destination. I remember Bob Marley's Legend playing over and over and over again. Reggae and Caribbean music have always influenced my music. I toured in the early 2000s with Ziggy Marley and Steel Pulse. I remember standing on the side of the stage watching and feeling how deep the groove was.

Following several home recording sessions, I traveled to Noble Steed Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama for a week-long collaboration with Craig Alvin (Kacey Musgraves, Hanson, Brittany Howard) and the Shoals Sisters. I had heard about Muscle Shoals in my 20s, but I didn't know the full story until I watched the documentary in 2014. It’s one of the best music documentaries out there. Muscle Shoals is all about passion and being in the moment; musical magic happens automatically there.

The influence for 'Smile', the EP’s lead single, was Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 hit 'Don’t Worry, Be Happy'. The song is such a beautiful song. I always admired how simple yet profound that song is. When I wrote 'Smile', I wanted to channel that positivity and impact. Similarly, with Bob Marley’s 'Three Little Birds' the melodies soothed and comforted me for as long as I can remember. The modern world has veered off course from a heart-centered mentality to a more cerebral, calculated, and categorized world… It makes me feel lonely and chaotic at times. I feel strongly that human beings are truly grounded by love and that our source is love. And that is where we find our deepest nourishment. – Pete Francis