We’re very excited to be speaking today with the acclaimed Grammy-nominated musician, producer, and songwriter, Peter Levin; greetings and salutations, Peter! Before we meander down the Q&A musical pathway, how has the summer of ‘23 been treating you?

Hi! So happy to be here and thanks for chatting with me! This summer has been great! I’ve been busy performing around the country with a few groups: The Highwomen, Trouble No More, and my group, the Peter Levin Band. I’ve also, as you know, been putting the finishing touches on my Album, “Saturday Night / Sunday Morning,” which will be released soon – September 15th to be exact.

Major congratulations on the brand-spankin’ new album! For those not in the know, could you talk about the inspiration behind the new LP?

What made Solaris Entertainment the perfect home for you and the new album?

I met Charles Hedgepath, musician and Partner at Solaris Entertainment, through our mutual friend Marcus King. We were both on a post-COVID writing session with Marcus, and I was telling Charles about my record, and how I had 18 songs all done, with great special guests, but I had stalled on it. COVID halted my momentum on finishing the album. Then in November of 2021, I had my heart transplant and was out of commission for a while. Charles told me about what he was up to with Solaris and seemed interested in helping me finally get the record off the ground. And when he described how the company worked and what he had been doing for it, it just felt like a good fit. So it was a combination of good, honest personnel and a good business model.

As a highly respected producer in your own right, did you do the producing honors on the new LP? And, if so, what are the pros of self-producing?

Yes. I did produce the record. Joey Williams from the Blind Boys, Lenesha Randolph from Lauren Hill’s band, and Robert Randolph’s Family Band helped with some vocal production. But overall it was all me, which I enjoyed very much.

The pros of self-producing are somewhat obvious. It’s your project, you are self-funding it, and all the decisions, musical and otherwise, are entirely up to you. You don’t have to worry about bumping heads with anyone over anything, which is a good feeling.

Ironically though, this can also be a drawback. The danger of self-producing is that the music could become a bit self-indulgent. Also, after writing, recording, and then producing the record, your ears need a break, and you run the risk of washing out on it. You can lose the scope of music, miss minor hiccups on the songs, etc. I do believe it is always a good idea to be able to have a second set of ears to help.

We absolutely fell in love with the Trouble at Your Door track off of the new album! What’s the story behind this incredible piece of music?

I was down in Savannah working with Gregg and Scott Sharrard, Gregg’s guitar player and music director. I was helping arrange some chord voicings for Gregg on a tune that he and Scott were writing, called “My Only True Friend,” which debuted on the “Southern Blood” album, which we recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals.

One morning, Gregg and his wife Shannon got up early to go to Church. I got up and was thinking about that, about them being in Church and some of the things that that means. The vision and idea I kept focusing on was the ability to let go of what’s hurting you, or bothering you, and through spirituality and faith, come to peace with some of the demons you have faced that you may be still hanging on to. And that’s why I named the song “Troubles At Your Door.” It suggests the idea of leaving all those negative aspects of your life at the door of whatever or whoever is most meaningful to you. Someone or something or a safe place where you can let all of that stuff lie and move on.

So I sat down at Gregg’s practice piano and the main chord progression just popped into my head. When Gregg and Shannon got back, I played Gregg what I had written and he liked it. So Gregg and I started writing words to it. I went back down to Savannah a few times to work on it with him. We would tweak the music and lyrics as we developed the song. 

It was absolutely amazing to watch Gregg’s writing process, especially how he wrote lyrics. He would have all these words and phrases on pieces of paper, like a jigsaw puzzle. And slowly put them together at which point I was just like “Oh my god, what just happened!”

So as we worked on it more, it began to take shape. Gregg passed before he had a chance to hear the final version, but I think he would have really liked it. Jimmy Carter from the Blind Boys and I sing it duet style, and the rest of the Blind Boys add such a deep soulful, and Gospel vibe to it. I am very proud of that song, even more so because I got to co-write it with one of my idols; someone that was so influential to me over the years.

You’ve collaborated with some amazing artists for the new album including – among others – Blind Boys, Marc Quinones, and Jack Pearson. What drew you to these particular master musicians for the new LP?

Well, I have been performing with the Blind Boys since 2008. I had done many sessions with them over the years and I had always wanted to have them sing on one of my projects. Some of the songs on my record, like “Working For The Lord,” and “Faith Will See You Through,” were originally written for the Blind Boys. They were auditioned for their “Almost Home” record but didn’t make the cut. So I flipped it and put those songs on my album and asked them to sing on it. With the songs being a combination of Blues, R&B, and Gospel, it just made complete sense. Having the Blind Boys on 5 of the songs on the album was a real honor and highlight for me. 

I was close with Quiñones because he and I were in Gregg’s band together. And he is an amazing musician and master percussionist. With his syncopated rhythmic style and feel for music, both playing and arranging, I knew he could add a lot to the sound and vibe of the music, which he did. 

I had been a long-time fan of Jack’s playing for years. I had seen him way back with the Allman Brothers and when I moved to Nashville, couldn’t wait to have him on a project as well. I had also played with Jack a few times in some Allman-related projects. He had sat in a few times with Gregg’s band, and we had done some Allman tributes together after Butch and Gregg passed. So I literally called Jack on the phone and told him about my record, and the guests on it, and he came down the studio that day!

Who inspires you musically?

I draw inspiration from so many folks and bands musically. The top end of the list would be Gregg Allman and the Allman Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Prince, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock, Carol King, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Meshell Ndegeocello, Earth, Wind and Fire, Tower of Power, Sheryl Crow, Albert King, Freddie King, Marvin Gaye, and Mavis Staples. 

We touched upon the legendary Gregg Allman with the mention of Troubles at Your Door. Can you talk a little about how this amazing artist has influenced and inspired you over the years?

Gregg has inspired me in several ways, over many many years. His songwriting has had a major influence on how I approach songs, especially his ballads. He has written some of the best ballads ever recorded. Ballads are my favorite style of song to write. I definitely got that from him. 

On tour, we used to both laugh with each other that we were both ballad guys, and both loved the key of B flat, indecently the key of “Troubles At Your Door.” 

His vocals have been a huge part of how I approach singing as well. That growly bluesy soulful style is something I gravitated to early on, and over the years have tried to incorporate some of that into my singing style. There is a real tangible quality to his singing. It can be raw and in your face, like his opening line on the Fillmore East version of “Statesboro Blues.”. But it can also be sensitive and subdued, like on “These Days,” or “Melissa.”

Lastly, his Hammond playing has been a major, MAJOR influence on me. Gregg was an absolute master of working the Leslie speaker. His feel for when to kick it on fast and get that thing spinning, and then backing it down to slow at just the right time is unmatched. His organ playing is super soulful. The way he incorporated double stops into his riffs and solos is something I have studied and even transcribed. He was not known for playing at blistering speeds, which is fine. He had an amazing feel and timing, and his drawbar settings have been an essential part and tradition of Rock and Blues music since the late 1960s. I grew up playing Hammond and singing, and there weren’t many, if any, that did it like him. 

On the heels of the release of the new album, what does your touring/performing schedule look like?

I have a busy fall. I’ll be performing with Amanda Shires throughout September and October, and I’ll be performing with Trouble No More in November. December I have a record date in LA and a few shows with my group sprinkled in. 

Being on the music scene for some time, what changes – good and bad – have you personally witnessed in the music industry?

Wow. That’s a tough one. On the good side, I’ve seen a lot of youngsters stepping their game up, both in songwriting and playing. Cats like Marcus King, who I have played on and off with for a few years now, Daniel Donato, Brandon “Taz” Neiderauer, both of whom are in Trouble No More, and Grace Bowers. It’s really awesome and inspiring to see some folks younger in years tearing it up. 

Also on the good side, it seems there are more and more national festivals and venues to play than when I was coming up. 

On the downside, my main complaint is the whole streaming thing has been a serious blow to musicians and songwriters. We have spent our lives honing our skills and perfecting our craft, much like top doctors and lawyers. And we are constantly getting screwed. It is impossible to make a living from songwriting and residuals now for what those bottom-feeder companies pay out. It’s ridiculous. 

And after all the sacrifices we have made over the years, missing time with our families, missing weddings, funerals, etc. so we can perfect our craft and bring the gift of music to people, the CEOs of these companies, who have never spent a day in our shoes, say we need to change the way WE do things. It’s an outrage.

You had some pretty serious health issues a little while back. Can you talk about this and how it’s influenced the course of your life and music?

In November of 2021, I had to have an emergency heart transplant. It was a really scary moment for me, my wife, Robyn, my family, and my close friends. Luckily the operation was a huge success, truly a bonafide miracle. The doctors at Vanderbilt saved my life twice in the days leading up to the operation. But once they performed the transplant, I started healing much faster than anyone expected me to. I was back playing shows about 4 and a half months after, as opposed to a year, which is what I was originally told.

Going through something like that makes you appreciate and value what truly matters in life. We spend so much time worrying about and dealing with trivial things that we often forget what matters in the big picture. 

So now, I am spending less time doing extended touring. For someone in my situation, being out there for weeks or months at a time, which I have done for many years, is not conducive to the lifestyle I need to lead right now. That could change in the future when I get some more years of healing under my belt. 

So now I do much shorter runs, maybe a week or two at most, and try to stay local while doing more sessions and writing and producing more music for artists that I regularly work with, which is going very well. I had a song nominated last year, in 2022, for a Grammy; a song I co-wrote and co-produced for The Blind Boys of Alabama and Black Violin, which also featured Marcus King, called “The Message.”

Being off the road for longer periods has also given me the chance to perform a bit more with my group, the Peter Levin Band, and pursue other musical endeavors I didn’t have a chance to work on in the past.

Any final thoughts you might like to share with readers about your latest music?

I hope the folks that listen to it enjoy it. I was fortunate to have some of the finest musicians and singers around perform on it! Recording the bulk of the album at Fame Studios was an amazing experience too. I had worked there many times prior, but not while recording my own project.  I recorded mostly original songs, but did a few covers too; some of Gregg’s tunes, a Hendrix tune, a Tom Waits tune, and a Smokey Robinson tune. Thanks again for having me and letting me talk about the album and other things as well!