Stripping Back and Standing Tall, Musician Drew Peterson is Flying Solo

December 2, 2019

A gifted storyteller with a gravelly soulful voice, local singer-songwriter Drew Peterson has always brought a heartfelt presence to the stage. Whether backed by the members of his first band, Forty Watt Bulb, or on his more recent projects, The Dead Pigeons and Boxstore Bird, Peterson has a gift for merging great songwriting with intriguing melodies.

Now, Peterson is going solo, stripping back and standing tall on his own in preparation for his first ever solo album release next March. It’s safe to say it has been a long time coming.

Intrigued by his longevity in the industry (Peterson has been performing music professionally for over 17 years), I sat down to speak with him about how he started his career in music, his struggles with burnout, and where he sees himself going next. - -

Though Peterson said he “could never get enough music” growing up, it wasn’t until his college years that he started songwriting and playing guitar. 

“I wanted to be a sculptor and they kept guiding me to do commercial art,” Peterson said. “Anyone who does it and loves it, God bless them, but for me, I just don’t work that way. I picked up a guitar [one day], and I just never put it down.”

Peterson was quick to learn chords, and not long after he was performing for other students.

From there grew Forty Watt Bulb, a low-key rock band consisting of Peterson and bandmates BJ Haldy, Joel Erickson and Dustin Brown. With songs like “Piss and Vinegar” and “Steal Your Girl”, Forty Watt Bulb’s standout tunes were fast-moving and dance-inducing: a wonderful first introduction to Peterson’s songwriting abilities, backed by light-hearted instrumentals.

Itching for a new project, Drew launched The Dead Pigeons, which at most included five players. The energetic Americana group quickly grew a following, with fans spanning age groups and musical tastes. In time, the group was booking gigs across the Midwest, at bars, breweries, house shows and popular music festivals.

But after months on the road, Peterson grew tired of the grind. In one year alone, at the height of it all, he estimates they played just shy of 200 shows.

“You’re just burning the candle at both ends,” Peterson said. “Every day you’re spending anywhere from three to eight hours a day in the car. It’s a hard thing to do. You work so hard to get to where you’re trying to get to, and when you’re arriving, you’re already done.”

Exhausted by the business side of music, Peterson began to consider going solo more seriously. What came to be was Boxstore Bird, a stripped down musical collaboration between Peterson and longtime bandmate Mandy Fassett. It was, it seems, Peterson’s last move towards independence. 

Now, Peterson has performed solo on numerous stages over the past few months. It’s something he said he’s still getting used to.

“I don’t like to be out front, and that’s been the weirdest part for me,” Peterson said. “To kind of take that role and say, ‘it’s me’ is a strange thing for me. People’s thoughts have been the most shocking … Having the crowd tell me, ‘we’re here for your music anyways’, it [feels] really good.”

Peterson said he is proud to be a part of the Minnesota music community.

“There are a ton of [impressive artists] in our community, just great players going to work every day, getting out there playing for anyone that will listen,” Peterson said. “The real people, getting out there and gigging, gigging the way you need to, [aren’t] doing it to be cool … But I’ve got to be honest, that’s where the best music I find is. The best things that I’ve seen.”

With a handful of upcoming shows across the Midwest and his first solo album coming this spring, we’re about to see a new side to Peterson. His first solo album will feature 14 full tracks, and will be, in Peterson’s words, more “singer-songwriter focused” and “old-timey”.

You can catch Peterson at the grand re-opening of Portage Brewing in Walker, Minn. on December 7th, or with the full band for a show on January 18th at the Oak Center General Store. And save the date for Peterson’s album release show, set for March 13th at The Hook and Ladder with the full band.

More upcoming shows can be found on Drew’s website.