American businessman turned pianist and singer-songwriter, Pete Muller, candidly tackles the experience of teetering in and out of responsibility and desire in his newly released ballad, "More Time."
The song serves as the title track to his upcoming album that will be out May 10 and was recorded in the Memphis studio of Grammy-winning record producer Matt Ross-Spang, known for his collaborations with the artists Jason Isbell and Margo Price.
On Pete Muller's New Song 'More Time'
Accompanying the release of "More Time" is a music video directed by the highly-accomplished Gus Black, who has worked for the likes of pop-indie artist Phoebe Bridgers and singer Sheryl Crow.
Of the music video, Muller said: "My friend Gus Black filmed the video in Santa Barbara's iconic Lobero theater, and I'm still blown away each time I watch it."
Similarly, this masterful visual composition is evident in Muller's new MV and perfectly encapsulates what Rock and Roll Globe described in the artist's new work as a "looser, grittier feel that adds a new wrinkle to the expansive nature of Muller the songwriter and performer."
"Avoiding temptation can save you from getting into trouble," wrote Muller about his new record's meaning. "But it's good to give in occasionally, otherwise life can get pretty boring. Wouldn't it be great to have 'More Time' before needing to make a choice?"
He also said that the "rawness" that can be felt in the new song is because the initial "solo piano/vocal" that Muller recorded at Ross-Spang's Southern Groove studio was retained, despite efforts of branching out to other versions.
This stripped-down approach enhanced the "urgency" the record exuded, something both the artist and producer couldn't shake off.
Leaning more into an acoustic feel, Muller got esteemed music arranger Sam Shoup to add a string and brass section to the track, alongside layering percussion and timpani for "power and texture."
"I was immediately drawn to the passion Pete brings to every performance," says Ross-Spang, who pushed Muller to explore a more jazzy and free-form soundscape away from his carefully arranged folk and roots origins.
"Joy truly abounds in his music, and working with Pete reinforced those same feelings in me," he added. "I consider myself very lucky to have helped capture that feeling on his new record."
Pete Muller's Two-Toned Career as a Businessman and Musician
Muller said that he was left creatively wanting more in the wake of his successful business ventures, explaining, "I have these two sides. One part of me is a very practical, analytical thinker, and the other's this creative artist who can't help but express what's going on in his soul."
"For a long time, I thought I had to choose between the two, but I've realized that I can love and nourish both sides of myself, that it's and not or," he added.
Muller recalled having not touched the piano for a long time, at one point. After accomplishing everything he planned to do in terms of his business career, he eventually realized that he neglected his artistic passions, prompting him to finally pursue a music career.
The artist started out busking in subways and even playing in small clubs and cafes, and eventually, he started penning his own songs.
After a few albums, he started gaining traction. At the time of the release of his fourth studio album "Dissolve," he reached new heights as a singer-songwriter, reaching the No. 27 spot on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart.
Similarly, in 2020, his single "God and Democracy" soared high in the same chart after peaking around the Top 30.
Besides his outstanding career in both business and music, Muller also boasts a more niche achievement of helping the notable New York music studio The Power Station to survive. Now known as Avatar Studios, it is a space where legendary musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan had graced before.
Upon learning of the studio's would-be shuttering, as it was planned to be sold and turned into a condominium complex, Muller decided to make use of his resources and struck a partnership with the city itself-alongside the Berklee College of Music-to renovate and re-launch the space as a world-class recording and educational facility.
Watch the "More Time" MV below:
