Pete Muller
Santa Barbara, California, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2011 | INDIE
Music
Press
Singer-songwriter Pete Muller wears many hats. When he isn’t busy with his role as CEO and founder of PDT Partners, he somehow finds the time to create intimate songs that speak to the human condition. This October, Muller is set to release his new album, Two Truths and a Lie, a collection of beautiful compositions, lovely melodies and innovative covers.
Another one of Muller’s great loves is philanthropy. In an effort to support several worthwhile organizations, he is donating 100 percent of the proceeds from Two Truths and a Lie to charity. The Robin Hood Foundation, A Leg to Stand On, Berklee College of Music’s “City Music” and Amp Up NYC are among the great programs which Muller supports. He is also gearing up for a series of benefit shows in cities across the U.S. in conjunction with the release of his new album.
“Kindred Soul,” the lead single off of Two Truths and a Lie, examines a quest for connection in a sea of strangers. The song’s accompanying video is beautifully shot on the rain-soaked streets of New York City and the sandy beaches of Los Angeles as a pair of misfits search for their soul mates. The piece is peppered with shots of Muller in the studio with his trio (Skip Ward – Bass, Kyle Rowland – Drums) performing the seemingly effortless song.
“Ever feel like you’re alone in the world? Like you have all this love and magic inside that you want to share, but you need a partner to help it come alive,” Muller asks in a post on his website introducing the world to “Kindred Soul.” The optimism that comes through in Muller’s music gives listeners comfort that likeminded people can be found in the most unexpected of places.
Two Truths and a Lie is produced by Rick DePofi (Roseanne Cash, Michelle Branch) and it features a slew of cameo appearances from talented musicians. Check out the video for “Kindred Soul” above and click here to pick-up tickets to see one of Muller’s benefit concerts. Keep reading AXS for more music news, reviews and tour announcements.
Pete Muller Benefit Show Dates
Oct. 22 City Winery – Chicago, IL (show benefits A Leg to Stand On)
Oct. 23 David Friend Recital Hall – Boston, MA (show benefits Berklee College of Music programs)
Oct. 28 City Winery – New York, NY (who benefits the Robin Hood Foundation)
Nov. 4 Soho Restaurant & Music Club – Santa Barbara, CA (show benefits the MoXI) - Laurie Fanelli – AXS Contributor
Quant trader Peter Muller is known for many things: his investing prowess, his poker game, his taste for adventure and his musical leanings. As our colleague Scott Patterson wrote of Muller in his book, “The Quants”:
“One week he’d be trekking in Bhutan or white-water rafting in Bolivia, the next heli-skiing in the Grand Tetons or singing folk songs in a funky cabaret in Greenwich Village. Muller had even been spotted belting out Bob Dylan tunes in New York’s subway system, his keyboard case sprinkled with coins from charitable commuters.”
Good news for fans of Mr. Muller’s musical stylings: He has a new album coming out. Mr. Muller, who has already released several albums, is calling the new one “Two Truths and a Lie.” He will be playing selections from the new release at City Winery in Manhattan Oct. 28.
The performance is being billed as a benefit for a poverty-fighting charity, The Robin Hood Foundation, with which Mr. Muller and other hedge-fund honchos are involved.
The price to see him perform at the event: $100 on the low end and $1,000 for a VIP ticket. Both options include an open bar.
Check out this music video for Mr. Muller’s “Kindred Soul” track, which features romantic pans of the Manhattan skyline, shots of Mr. Muller tickling the ivories, and a person dressed up as a hot dog (sorry to disappoint, it’s not Mr. Muller) wandering around, looking for a soulmate.
Pete Muller - Kindred Soul (Official Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnuykw3QSP0 - JULIET CHUNG
I wanted to play the subways in New York, but at first I was afraid to go where anyone whould recognize me. So I took my electronic keyboard to Barcelona.... I went to La Rambla, which is this big avenue where people walk around, took out my keyboard and started playing and singing. It was kind of scary because I hadn't done it before. But it steeled me for doing it in New York....
I give everything I make from my music to charity. I don't go to the station where I can make the most money; I like Chambers Street because of the acoustics. When you're playing in the subway, 98 percent of the people who walk by - you could be Elton John, and they're not going to care. It's definitely ego-deflating, but it's kind of great. You have to be very centered in yourself and really be playing for yourself but still sending out enough emotion that you can touch people as they walk past....
Some of my best gigs have been at Makor in New York and the Acoustic Cafe in Bridgeport, Conn., but I still like to play in the subway....
June 8, 2003
- Pete Muller as told to Loch Adamson
Discography
CD Two Truths and a Lie, 2015: Two Truths and A Lie opens with “Kindred Soul,” its unfurling piano informing a mystical song about longing. Written before Muller found his wife (he is now happily married with two kids), the song contains the line “I don’t know why I cannot find someone to ride with me through this crazy life.” The music video, featuring a girl in a hot dog costume roaming the streets of New York and California, highlights both the uniqueness and universality of our search for love. Produced by Rick DePofi (whose credits include Rosanne Cash’s Grammy-winning The River & The Thread), Two Truths and a Lie is filled with intimate songs that capture audiences on first listen. Muller is joined on the recording by his long-standing trio members Skip Ward on bass and Kyle Rowland on drums. A number of other well-known players, including trombonist Walter Hawkes, make cameo appearances.
CD More Than This, 2004: Still Looking for My Home, I Don't Know What to Do, Is This a Test?, Almost, Iceberg, 'Til it's Time to Leave, The Ghost or the Fear, Rachel, Firefly, Underneath the Ground, More Than This, Bits and Pieces, In This World
CD Just One Lifetime, 2001: A Safe Place to Lie, Run Away, Song Inside Your Head, Not That Man, Danielle, Just One Lifetime, Choose What You Amplify, Miss Jones, I Wish I Had a Madman, Chasing Another Man's Dream.
Photos
Bio
Singer/Songwriter Pete Muller Releases Two Truths and a Lie
Pete Muller’s latest album, Two Truths and A Lie, reflects his unusual journey. While he was achieving the highest level of Wall Street success as a pioneer in “quant” investing, he was also singing his songs to tough-hearted New York City subway audiences. In beautifully composed and rendered material, Muller’s warm vocals and heartfelt songs inform Two Truths and a Lie.
Two Truths and A Lie opens with “Kindred Soul,” its unfurling piano informing a mystical song about longing. Written before Muller found his wife (he is now happily married with two kids), the song contains the line “I don’t know why I cannot find someone to ride with me through this crazy life.” The music video, featuring a girl in a hot dog costume roaming the streets of New York and California, highlights both the uniqueness and universality of our search for love.
Produced by Rick DePofi (whose credits include Rosanne Cash’s Grammy-winning The River & The Thread), Two Truths and a Lie is filled with intimate songs that capture audiences on first listen. Muller is joined on the recording by his long-standing trio members Skip Ward on bass and Kyle Rowland on drums. A number of other well-known players, including trombonist Walter Hawkes, make cameo appearances.
In all areas of his life, Muller is driven by two overarching themes: Connection and mastery. He gets happiness from learning to get better at a craft. “The first crossword puzzle I submitted to the NY Times was rejected,” Muller recalls, “but with an encouraging note that made me want to do better. I kept going.” Muller has since published numerous crosswords in the Times, and now runs a challenging monthly music-themed crossword contest.
Muller also loves creating lyrics that evoke emotions with honesty and simplicity – some of his favorite songwriters are Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, and Elvis Costello. Muller’s piano chops come from his training in jazz improvisation as a teenager – his songwriting skills from hosting a weekly songwriting circle in New York City for five years.
“In my work life, I’m proud of creating a group with my own rules – hiring smart, kind people with no prior finance experience, and helping them to reach their potential.” Muller says. “The best thing about working on Wall Street was that it challenged me to be the best I could be. When I perform I am looking for a similar challenge.”
“There are times in your life when you’re in flow,” Muller says, “when there is nothing but joy and love in your heart, and everything feels like it is meant to be. You’re completely relaxed, but energized and aware at the same time. To me, success in life is about being in that state as often as possible.”
“If I can touch people with my music, that makes me feel great,” Muller concludes. “I love the passion and joy I feel when I am playing and I want to touch as many people with that joy as I can.”
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