Pete Eastmure: Writing with Images

Pete Eastmure is diving deeper into the Americana/Canadiana genre with his new album “Devil’s Taxi”. The album was created during the “Shutdown” and is a follow up to Pete’s acclaimed album, “Keep Your Love Steady” from 2019.

The single “Devil’s Taxi” is an evocative and emotional journey song rooted in the story of Robin Hood, and seen through the lens of a modern world gone mad.

“Devil’s Taxi” is co-produced by Pete Eastmure and Steve Dawson and The Henhouse Express in Nashville, TN. Influenced by Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Stompin’ Tom Connors, and Hank Williams – this album takes the listener on a spirit journey into the heart of Canada – from the gorgeous Lake Superior to Moose Jaw SK, the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896 Dawson City, rural Southern Ontario and Devil’s Glen & the Mad River.

Singer-songwriter and music educator Susan Catteneo joined us again to fill in for Phil. Thanks so much Susan!

Pete shared the process behind his song Devil’s Taxi. Download the lyrics to follow along.

We talked about:

• A video we added to our Songwriting Challenge 2023 page on how to write a heavy metal guitar riff in the Locrian mode
• the value of misheard lyrics
• recording an album remotely, and the importance of recording to a click
• bringing together personal experiences with literary references
• setting up a dichotomy between nature and the urban world
• writing lyrics that are open to the listeners’ interpretation