Overcoming Hurdles, Ex-Indie Band Star Relishes Life at His Own Pace
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In his music career and in life, Pete Francis has been faced with obstacles, but each time has seemed to emerge stronger from the experience.
A founding member of the groundbreaking indie band Dispatch, which formed at Vermont’s Middlebury College in the mid-1990s, Francis and his two bandmates would help redefine the rules of the music industry for bands that didn’t have the backing of a record label, and subsequently, little radio air time.
Through their talent, hard work, creativity, sheer gumption and the help of technology, they were able to get their music out to the public and amass a significant following through programs like Napster. They were a staple on college campuses and at clubs, mainly in the Boston, New York and Philadelphia areas. They were difficult to define because they dabbled in so many different genres.
“For bands like us that weren’t really getting radio play, we hadn’t signed a record deal, Napster was a great way to distribute and we could go play a place we had never been before,” Francis said.
Despite extensive nationwide touring, by the early 2000s, disagreements and tension forced the band to take a break. They eventually reunited and took another break, which allowed Francis, the band’s bassist, to start pursuing a solo career.
Dispatch would reunite again in 2007, and sold out Madison Square Garden for three consecutive nights for a series of benefit concerts, a remarkable achievement for the band. The experience of taking the stage in front of 20,000 people that first night almost didn’t seem real.
“It was like I was lifted into the air and I was still basically standing on the steps, on the first step of the stage,” Francis recalled. “It’s hard to describe.”
After reaching the pinnacle, there would be hiatuses and reunions, and eventually two more shows at the Garden in 2015. But Francis had other concerns to tend to. His mental health had begun to deteriorate. At 31 years old, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It forced Francis to focus on himself, rather than the grind of touring, creating new music and recording.
It turned out to be the best thing for him and ultimately his family. Francis and his wife have two children, a 10- and a 12-year-old.
“I took a break, but, you know, the good news is that I’m going really well and I think that through that I learned a lot,” Francis said.
For some, getting off the merry-go-round at or near the top would be difficult to do. But reading New York Times columnist David Brook’s book “The Second Mountain” gave Francis a healthy perspective and to take life at his own pace.
“I did that first mountain, you’re doing great, achieve some major career goals, and then I think the second mountain in a way has been sort of fulfilling with my family,” Francis said. “I work a lot with my wife and also taking care of myself and having a better sense of myself and learning a lot.”
In the past four years, he’s had the opportunity to focus on his solo career. Last month, he released his first LP, “PTRN SKY!” Recorded at his home studio in Vermont, it relates to his experience of dealing with depression and anxiety that he has faced throughout most of his adult life.
To coincide with that LP is his current tour, which brings him to the Pleasantville Music Festival on Saturday, where he will play in the Chill Tent at about 5:40 p.m. In a way, it’s the type of venue that takes him back to his roots.
“I’m really excited for the Pleasantville Music Festival,” Francis said. “I’ve been following them along on Instagram, the acts they’ve got are great and it feels like a great event and it seems like it’s got a lot of soul.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
