Pete Francis of Dispatch

Pete Francis is a songwriter based in New York City. With the release of his new solo record, Iron Sea and the Cavalry, Francis expands on his already diverse catalog of classic tracks. In his songs a poetic tension exists between textured imagery and pure improvised rock and roll, resulting in a dynamic, Americana sound that is entirely his own. The pulsing first single, Shooting Star and the Ambulance, leans towards the abstract, while tunes like Johnny Ocho’s Lullaby and Armies of Angels will make you want to get up and dance. 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, but they always keep the listener coming back for more.
Francis is off to a smoldering start in 2008, touring the east coast and midwest to growing crowds and rave reviews of his live performances. Francis has been showcasing the new songs, and his new band, at festivals that include Langerado, Wakarusa and Mountain Jam, while headlining shows at hotspots like the Highline Ballroom (NYC), Paradise Rock Club (Boston) and 9:30 Club (DC) are drawing hundreds of enthusiastic fans.
Francis 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. They gained dedicated fans without the assistance of a major record company and became pioneers in the music industry, playing to capacity crowds 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.
Don’t look for things to slow down any time soon for Pete Francis and his newly formed Pete Francis Band. With a renewed fire fueling his creative juices and a dynamic band that allows for each tune to be explored with the necessary depth, the biggest achievements are yet to come.