Pete Schmidt

It is his proficient, honest songwriting, and truly skillful guitar-playing, coupled with an adept stage presence that has been captivating audiences across the country and establishing Pete Schmidt as one of most significant additions to the singer/songwriter genre. Pete, who grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia, never took formal guitar lessons and honed his folk-rock sound “through endless experimentation” on an antique acoustic guitar. His songs, written mostly about relationships past and present, are driven by emotion and offer listeners and fans a peak into his personal and reflective side.

Inspired by early hard-rock heroes such as Metallica and Nirvana, Pete’s music career really began taking shape in high school when he teamed up with fellow students to create an independent album. Their school project soon became a career path for Pete, as the band who called themselves “Vital Souls” decided to take their talent beyond the classroom walls. Pete went on to attend college in Tallahassee, Florida, where he was still driven by the desire to inspire others with his music and “just get out there and play.” He continued to perform solo shows at small venues, coffee houses, garages, bookstores, and college parties, creating a solid fan base as he went.

With significant touring and the power of word-of-mouth, Pete Schmidt has already established himself as one of the most noteworthy new artists on the scene, with an extensive underground following. CURB Magazine recently declared that he “is quickly gaining a reputation as an artist to watch." He has already established dedicated fans, willing to represent him in over 30 states, whose support helped his EP “On Your Way To Fly” reach #1 at Awarestore.com. Appearing as a featured artist at MP3.com and clearing over 60,000 downloads within only a few short months, his “everyman” songs are spreading rapidly throughout the country.

Having also played with folk-hipster Jason Mraz (Elektra), and been invited by Star 94 Atlanta to open for multi-Grammy winning Norah Jones (Blue Note/ Capitol), many industry ears are perking up to hear Petes rootsy, soulful songs. Most recently, Pete was invited to open for internationally-acclaimed David Gray (ATO) as a side stage performer at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell pavilion in Woodlands, Texas.