With his previous releases generating huge amounts of praise from the likes of BBC 6Music and BBC Newcastle, Newcastle-based artist Pete Beat recently returned to unveil his brand new album ‘Before The War’.
To understand Pete Beat further, you’re best taking a look into his catalogue of tracks to date. Pete is a storyteller and a songwriter so capable of conveying a message within his songs, that despite a frequent use of humour in his music, you will be guaranteed to take this artist very seriously indeed after you’ve had a good listen.
He’s a bit unusual is Pete Beat. If you’re a fan of the unfamiliar, then take a dive into the musical universe of this Geordie artist. With two albums under his belt, and the new one here, Pete Beat is no stranger to writing and producing songs.
Now, Pete returns with an upcoming album after a string of single releases along the way. January gave us ‘Drinking Lager’, then ‘Homesick Night’ before he released the titular single ‘Before The War’, all from the album of the same name.
Pete Beat tells us that the title for the album ‘Before The War’ was inspired by “a feeling with the rise of right wing nationalism over the last few years that the world is heading the way of the 1930s. The song of the same name is about that, and as it refers to these times, it seemed like the best title for the album too. It also has a retro feel like a few of the songs.” ‘Homesick Night’ gave us a tear-jerking contrast to the humorous first single release ‘Drinking Lager’, which was tongue-in-cheek, even silly in places.
The new full-length album makes for an incredibly diverse listen. With its nods to electronica, indie-rock and even a twang of 1930’s nostalgia, the release marks an extremely adventurous addition to his growing catalogue.
Speaking about the album, he says, “Into a world increasingly mirroring the 1930’s, comes an album partly inspired by the British dance band sound of that era, but updated for the modern age with electronic production and funky beats. In our current age, social media algorithms polarise the population. Dodgy foreign billions pay for election results which benefit the rich and powerful using Facebook ads. Society becomes increasingly unequal. People look for someone to blame, and flawed saviours are only too keen to offer solutions.”
Pete goes on to add, “But this isn't a political album. Even in turbulent times we still think about love and life, mental illness, and spending the lockdown summer of 2020 drinking lager in the backyard.”
Listen to Pete Beat’s latest album ‘Before The War’ below.