Peter Keys has crossed the worldwide stage to search out himself amidst the intimate soundscapes of Nashville.
For many musicians, the objective is commonly the following gig, the following tour, or the following massive occasion. For Peter Keys, it’s all the time been about one thing smaller and but way more profound: being there. He calls it “dwelling in each observe,” a philosophy that guides his work and every thing he does, whether or not he’s performing for a roaring crowd or sitting in a management room at his personal studio.
Keys’ highway to music was by no means a straight line. Quite, it’s like a sprawling, deep-rooted tree. He grew up within the Bay Space, and he didn’t keep on with anybody style. He soaked up every thing from rock and blues to soul and funk. However his eclectic basis wasn’t nearly studying scales. It was additionally about studying find out how to pay attention.
His openness led him to his time with Parliament-Funkadelic and performing alongside legends akin to Bernie Worrell and Bootsy Collins. There, Keys discovered that music thrives within the cracks, significantly within the moments of improvisation the place the track takes on a lifetime of its personal. Throughout these days, when he was taking part in the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame or sharing the stage with Snoop Dogg, he discovered that greatness wasn’t about being an ideal artist. It was about being fearless.
In 2009, Keys took on a job that carried with it a large legacy: keyboardist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. He discovered that filling the footwear of the late Billy Powell was no small feat. Each evening, taking part in these iconic songs which were a part of the American legacy for many years, he carried the burden of Southern rock historical past.
However Keys did it in his personal approach. He realized early on that making an attempt to be a carbon copy of different musicians was by no means the reply. Quite, he centered on channeling the spirit of music historical past whereas remaining true to himself. He let go of the necessity to show he belonged and located the liberty to truly be current and contribute his personal model of the sound. He turned not only a custodian of the previous however a significant, dwelling a part of its historical past.
When the stadium lights fade and he’s off the highway, Keys trades the adrenaline of the rock area for the meticulous work inside Stoner Creek Studio in Nashville. That is the place the keyboardist turns into the artisan, and he has the chance to work with artists as numerous as Dolly Parton and YelaWolf. Right here, Keys treats the studio as a clean canvas, an atmosphere the place he can experiment and assist different artists translate their sound into completed information. For him, there’s as a lot particular magic within the quiet of the studio as in a sold-out present.
Trying to the long run, Peter Keys isn’t slowing down anytime quickly. He plans to maintain carrying the torch for Skynyrd, however his coronary heart is more and more turning into rooted to the producer’s chair. His dream stays easy: to put in writing, produce, and assist create a track that somebody someplace will ultimately name their favourite.
SPIN Journal newsroom and editorial workers weren’t concerned within the creation of this content material.
