A New England native, Francis first came to fame in the late 1990s as a founding member of alternative roots powerhouse Dispatch, whose remarkable rise from Middlebury College to Madison Square Garden helped rewrite the rulebooks for modern indie bands. It was the sheer joy of the band’s legendary early performances that helped the band’s fan base swell online. That joy has been recaptured on Pete Francis’ newest solo venture, entitled Neon Light Blind.

Neon Light Blind follows his 2023 release PTRN SKY as Francis’ second self-produced project. You can smell the home cooking on Neon Light Blind as it was self-recorded at Dragoncrest, the studio in his Connecticut home. The album features Pete’s backing band, with Kenny Shaw on drums, Andy K on bass, Ben Higginbotham (of Cypress) laying down the rhythm tracks and vocal harmonies, and Pete’s wife Katie on vocals. The songs on Neon Light Blind were co-written with Grant Michaels (Weezer, Sia, Banners), and take influence from reggae and soul standards that have always been a part of Pete’s musical identity. To that point, the EP is slated for a Spring 2024 release on reggae imprint Dubshot Records via ADA/Warner Music. See more at www.petefrancis.com.

A portion of profits from the sale of Pete Francis' strings go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 and has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an alliance of more than 600 local Affiliates and 49 State Organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need. See more at www.nami.org.

 Photo credit: Marcus Maddox