Peter Pisano was not a happy man last summer. With his job as a middle-school science teacher on summer hiatus, the songwriter was granted much time for introspection. What'd he find? A nasty bout of writer's block and a wellspring of sorrow.
Peter Wolf Crier lands on prestigious indie label
The local band is South by Southwest-bound.
By JAY BOLLER
March 5, 2010 at 2:33PM
That changed one night -- the songs started pouring out. "I was excited, there was a sense of hope, there was something living in me again," he said. Pisano teamed up with drummer Brian Moen, and that lonely summer spark turned into a blaze, resulting in Peter Wolf Crier's impressive debut LP "Inter-Be," released last fall.
The record can't be easily pegged. There's a clear singer/songwriter element and some rootsy leanings, but Moen's visceral drums and Pisano's high, haunting vocals lend much emotional weight. The duo experienced a coming-out party of sorts at First Avenue's Best New Bands showcase Jan. 15, and folks really started paying attention.
On Tuesday, indie powerhouse Jagjaguwar announced that it will reissue "Inter-Be" internationally and add Peter Wolf Crier to its esteemed roster, which includes regional talents Bon Iver and Gayngs and such legends as Dinosaur Jr.
After a First Ave gig Saturday, co-headlining Vita.mn's Are You Local? showcase, PWC will make the trek to the hype-making South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas.
"Peter and I have never been in a buzz band before," says Moen. He and Pisano are keenly aware of the pratfalls that loaded, sometimes dubious term possesses.
"I think 'buzz' is appropriate in its onomatopoeic sense -- it's loud, it gets your attention but it's also annoying," Pisano says. Still, he's not daunted. "If people are going to be told, 'You should go listen to [Peter Wolf Crier],' I'm not gonna be afraid of what they're going to find."
The Jagjaguwar signing, which Pisano calls a huge validation, proves that the industry is every bit as confident as he.
So where do they want to take this? There are careers to contend with -- Pisano, 26, calls his teaching gig the greatest responsibility one can have short of parenting. Moen, 28, juggles his graphic design career, but feels music's tug from both PWC and Laarks, his other band. The guys have received "incredible" tour offers in the wake of the Jag signing, but had to deflect them due to their day jobs, Pisano lamented.
"We want to play professionally; we'd like to be able to quit the other jobs," he said. "Or get to a point where we can make that decision."
Jay Boller is a U of M student on assignment for Star Tribune.
