Pete Francis of Dispatch Solo

Pete Francis of Dispatch is set to release Iron Sea and the Cavalry
On Scrapper Records on March 18, 2008

Pete Francis

Pete Francis is a singer-songwriter based in New York City. He began his career with the band Dispatch. For almost ten years, the three members of Dispatch released four studio albums, a live CD, and a DVD under their own label, Bomber Records. They gained dedicated fans without the assistance of a major record company and became pioneers in the music industry, playing to capacity at major venues across the country and selling more than 600,000 albums. In 2004 Dispatch celebrated a remarkable eight-year run by performing a farewell show in Boston, MA. Over 110,000 fans were in attendance, making it the largest independent music event in history. Three years later, the band reunited at Madison Square Garden in New York City playing three sold-out nights benefiting charities to combat famine, disease, and social injustice in Zimbabwe. They made history once again as the first independent band to headline the Garden.

The music did not stop there. Pete Francis has created a soulful catalogue of solo music as well. In his songs a poetic tension exists between textured imagery and pure improvised rock and roll. A Pete Francis record feels like a ride from New York City to the coast of Maine. Sometimes his songs are weightless abstractions. Sometimes they tell the story of experience.

His most recent release, Iron Sea and The Cavalry, belongs in a classic jukebox that holds only your favorite records. From the pulsing single “Shooting Star and the Ambulance” to the dream-like journey of “Heavenly Boat,” the album represents the work of a true craftsman. His lyrics and melodies evoke introspective reflections that grow deeper the more one listens. The record expresses Francis’ soulful rock, folk and blues influences with layered instrumentation of B-3 organ, lap-steel guitar, mandolin, and a driving rhythm section. His inventive guitar playing and strong vocals draw the listener into a visceral experience.

Francis will begin touring in March.