Page 33 - BiTS_08_AUGUST_2023

BiTS: Are you working on another album at the moment? Do you write continuously even though
you're not actually going into the studio?

PPW: Not really, no. I mean, I do try and write, but I find writing to be a bit like drawing teeth.
So I tend to end up with lots of kind of first verses and fragments of things, little ideas, and it

takes me a little while then. I tend to have to sit down for a few weeks before kind of going into
the studio, to sort of hammer them into song shape, as opposed to just being a verse or a chorus
or whatever. Yes, so I've got a notebook with a few ideas in, but I'm thinking about what might
be the next thing, but I’ve not quite found it yet.

BiTS: And talking about what is the next thing, what are the prospects? I mean, are the gigs
coming back after COVID? And are you getting a few?

PPW: Yes, I mean, we're getting a few. We tried to do an album launch tour and it was a little
bit thin on the ground, but off the back of some people seeing us live, we’re starting to get offers
coming in. So it's looking a bit better. I'm hoping next year might be a good year with some good
festivals and stuff.

BiTS: Got any festivals coming up or anything of that kind?

PPW: Yes, doing about Abajazz in August bank holiday, which is quite a nice festival and I think
the same weekend is Congleton Jazz and Blues Festival. I tend to end up at the small to
medium-sized festivals. I've not had many on big, big stages.

BiTS: How bad was it when COVID hit? I mean, did you have lots of gigs cancelled?

PPW: Yes, I mean, I had 48 hours where my email
pinged continuously, and I effectively had 12 months’
work cancelled in that 48 hours.

BiTS: Talk to me now, Pete, about “Live in Liège”.
First of all, how come you went to Belgium?

PPW: Well, I wanted to do a European tour and a
friend of mine advised me that even if I only broke
even, it would look good on my gig list to have foreign

dates, so I decided to try and book some. The club was
called Blues-sphere in Liège. It was the second time I
played there. I played there in 2016 as well, I think.
So yes, and Jean-Paul, who runs it, offered to record
the gig. When I got back and listened to it, and it was
pretty reasonable, I decided to put it out. “Live in
Liège” was only ever a digital release. I've never had
CDs made up of it. The year before, I'd made “Timber Framed”, which was planned as a live album.
We hired a venue, and I played acoustic in front of a crowd and just had record mikes up. Whereas
“Live At Liège” was very much just what the gig sounded like at the time, and it was a chance to
do a kind of the greatest hits live album. I've never done that because “Timber Framed” is all new
material but done in front of an audience.

BiTS: Tell me, just before we go, what is your long-term ambition? What would you like to see
happen to you, say in the next couple of years?

PPW: I mean, I'd love to be able to do a UK tour playing kind of off-centre type venues and be
able to sell them out, really. I've never really aspired to much more than being able to make a
living playing music, but you know, I'd quite like to make a slightly better living playing music.