Bio
As a teenager, Pete Droge saved his money, planning to move to New York City where he could sleep on a relative’s couch while pursuing his musical ambitions. Instead, at eighteen he used the money to purchase his first piece of recording equipment. Now, after countless recording projects in his studio, The Puzzle Tree, it seems clear that a four-track recorder was a far better investment than moving across the country.

"I was in my pajamas most of the time," says Pete Droge of his latest solo release, Skywatching (Puzzle Tree Records/United Musicians). Recorded in Droge’s studio on an island near Seattle, Skywatching marks a return to the sensibilities of his 1994 debut Necktie Second. "It’s got a pretty laid back feel. This one isn’t really trying to rock as much my last couple of records," he says. While touring extensively with Neil Young, Tom Petty, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow to promote Necktie Second and its follow-up Find a Door, Droge’s sound began to expand. "Things just naturally got ramped up with my band the Sinners and those elements, like louder guitars and bashier drums, were brought into the studio for Spacey and Shakin." For Skywatching, a more homespun approach was applied. "The studio is above my kitchen. I cut the basic tracks with the Sinners and engineer Russ Fowler, but most of the record was made on my own, experimenting with weird keyboard and guitar sounds." The introspective process resulted in a more intimate tone on Skywatching.

It also benefited from a longer gestation period—something Droge hadn’t entirely intended. "I’ve been developing a multiple personality career, where I’m hopping around from one thing to another. I really enjoy it; it keeps everything fresh." So Droge kept hopping from working on his own songs to producing for others, including Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard. Then he was offered the chance to score a couple of feature-length films, not mention appearing in one. (That’s Pete singing at the Hyatt in Almost Famous.)

In 2001, he was off to Denmark after a mysterious invitation arrived via his website, inviting him to the intriguing sounding Song Island. "They invite a handful of established songwriters from different countries and then young Danish songwriters come to this island to write," Droge explains. "You just wake up in the morning and write songs and collaborate. And that’s how I ended up being invited back as a guest teacher in Copenhagen for ‘Nashville Week’ at the Danish Rhythmic Conservatory. I was the only non-Nashville participant." Another participant, Kim Richey, featured the Droge collaboration "Electric Green" on her Lost Highway release.

But the biggest—and perhaps most surprising—little side project is clearly The Thorns, a new harmony band featuring Droge and fellow singer/songwriters Matthew Sweet and Shawn Mullins. With a full-length album out in May 2003, a tour with the Jayhawks, an appearance on NBC’s American Dreams, and piles of press clippings that could reach the moon, The Thorns became an "experiment" turned musical juggernaut.

It was Droge’s collaborative ideal that led him to United Musicians, home of Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, and Bob Mould. "United Musicians is all about looking forward and finding new ways of forging a career in this business," he says. "I wanted to create a life for myself that was more flexible and allowed for more time devoted to the creative side of things. We each have our sights set sort of beyond the horizon and it really exciting to be a part of that."

Meanwhile, Droge believes that all of the short breaks away from his own work have only made it stronger, allowing him to come back to each track with a fresh eye and the nerve to try things that didn’t immediately come to him. "Hopefully the first things that hits you are the songs themselves, and as you get deeper into it you can peel away these layers," he says of the complex arrangements on Skywatching. "That was a goal: can I make this record not too stock and have enough layers that are interesting sonically, but still serve the songs."

But the core of his craft lies deeper than mere sonic surfaces. "My main goal has become to evoke an emotion and for the song to be based on and created from a genuine and honest feeling," he says. "Because what I found, early on, was that the songs that had the most staying power and that resonated over time were the ones that were created from that spirit of honesty and feeling. And some of the songs that were more exercises in form—if it didn’t come from a pure expressive emotional place didn’t last long for me."

Critics have always agreed, with Rolling Stone noting, "The strength of Droge’s personal conviction emphasizes what is true rather than what is merely tried." Musician adds, "Treading that delicate balance between sophistication and simplicity is what makes Droge’s music tick." Perhaps the Los Angeles Times nails that Droge quality best: "Droge writes about the longing and doubts of relationships with the softer, more customized edge of his singer-songwriter heroes, including Dylan, Neil Young, Tom Petty and Gram Parsons."

"There’s more of a hint of soul music than anything else I’ve ever done," Droge says of Skywatching. "On "Train Love to Stay" the drum beat is essentially a blueprint from an Al Green record. "Do Be True" has a kind of slow R & B groove to it. I’ve been joking that Skywatching is Northwestern Island soul music."

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