HEALTH, GIG & RELEASE UPDATES

Ch ch ch ch changes!

UPCOMING DATES:

06/08 - Portland, OR • Mississippi Studios • TICKETS
06/13 - Los Angeles, CA • McCabe’s Guitar Shop • TICKETS
06/14 - Ojai, CA • Ojai Underground Exchange • TICKETS

Album cover photo shoot outtake by John Jeffcoat.

As some of you know, I’ve been dealing with chronic fatigue since 2015. For the last couple of years, it’s been pretty manageable. I’ve not been putting in the hours I did pre-fatigue, but I’ve been well enough to be fairly productive.

Recently, with live dates and new music on the horizon, my workload increased significantly, and as a result, my system crashed hard. So, in the interest of self-care, I’ve made two big decisions.

First, I canceled two of my upcoming shows that required super-long drives. My heartfelt apology to those who were planning on attending. I hope to make it to your neck of the woods before long.

Second, I’ve pushed the release of the “You Called Me Kid” single a few weeks later. So it won’t come out tomorrow (5/22/25) as I mentioned in a recent post. This actually works out amazingly well, timing-wise. The song was written for my Dad after he passed away, and now it will drop on the eve of Father’s Day weekend.

Things continue to line up nicely, with the next single in line also getting pushed. I wrote “Song for Barbara Ann” for my birth mother, and now it will come out in mid-July, to coincide with the anniversary of her passing and what would have been her seventy-seventh birthday. So now the timing really lines up. I'm not sure why we didn’t think of this in the first place!

The full Fade Away Blue album will drop in late Summer, and the Necktie Second (Deluxe) double vinyl reissue will come out this Fall. Stay tuned to this space for details.

Before I sign off, I want to say a few words about my chronic fatigue. While I don’t want to minimize the challenges I’ve faced, I want to let you know that I’m in a good space with it all. I’ve maintained a positive attitude, as Bob Dylan sang in one of my favorite songs, “most of the time.” I won’t sugar coat. At times, including recently when my energy began tanking, I’ve sunk into deep depression. Thankfully, those stretches have not lasted long.

Many among us face obstacles that make my fatigue issues look like a walk in the park. I try to keep that in perspective.

It’s been just shy of ten years since the onset of my symptoms, and in that time, I’ve become a self-care ninja. My meditation practice has deepened more than I could have imagined. When my fatigue was at its worst, I meditated for an average of two hours a day. Now that I’m working more, my average has dropped, but I still never miss a day.

I have learned to listen to my body. Again, to quote Bob, “most of the time.” I’m not batting a thousand. Plowing through and ignoring the messages to slow down and rest led to my recent crash. And while it’s taking time to build back up, I am trending in the right direction. Slowly, but slowly.

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I could not be more excited to share my new record. Soon, this newsletter will be awash in all things Fade Away Blue.

Next, I’ll be back in your inbox with a gig recap post sharing highlights from the recent SMASH and Dreaming in Analog gigs. Spoiler alert: Both nights were magical.

Until then, below is a video clip of the Jet City All-Stars working up “You Called Me Kid” for the Dreaming in Analog show that I posted on my socials recently. (I’m on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Plus, I recently signed up for Bluesky. And soon, I might even be rockin’ some cover tunes over on TikTok.)

Peace & Love Songs,

Pete

From L to R: Ben Smith (drums), Mike Musburger (percussion), Dan Walker (keys), Andy Stoller (bass), Chris Ballew (keys) & Jeff Fielder (guitar).