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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 peek 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 Pete's 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.

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Pete Schmidt has hit a grand slam with his latest full length release. His sound is refined, his songwriting keeps getting better, and his vocals are signature. A rich blend of emotionally raw lyrics, Schmidt is a master songwriter in the vein of Matt Nathanson and Graham Colton. I feel that he's really emerged with this album, which features the amazingly apologetic track, "Make It Up to You". Using acoustic rhythms and soaring electric sounds (not to mention dramatic percussion effects), this song has that pop-friendly aspect to it, while retaining emotional depth. In it, Schmidt sings, "I sit here and think about what I had/And yeah maybe sometimes I'd like to have it back/When I see other people doing what we did/Do you think about us, the replacement of us." "All of Us" is another gem of the album, a song that proves Schmidt can stretch his vocal capabilities, with a little U2 tossed in. "Graduation" was remastered from his previous EP, and the slower pace and electronically-charged background keep this tune rocking smoothly, as Schmidt hits some great high notes. When I hear him belt vocally throughout the album, I hear the true Schmidt. He seems much more at ease when he's wailing out the end chords and choruses, but sounds a little too rehearsed during the verses of the songs. Regardless what you think of his voice, I definitely think it works for him. The entire album has a beautiful range of melodies intertwined with rich vocals and endearing lyrics.

From Discoveringartists.com
Written by Kristen Pasculli

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Pete Schmidt has the hit the mark with his latest full-length release, “No Safe Bet.” This distinguished singer-songwriter, recognized for his breezy vocals, soaring melodies, and candid songwriting, releases his latest album on March 16, and it is one that has been highly anticipated for some time. This ten-song collection takes the listener through a journey, one that anyone should be happy to go on. Filled with lively melodies, incredible composition and arrangements, and the signature sound of Schmidt’s vocals, “No Safe Bet,” is sure to delight. “No Safe Bet” opens with “Dreams”, an effervescent mix of electric guitars, drums, and intricate rhythms. Schmidt shines on this opening track, his voice conveying the vibrant emotion in the song. A unique arrangement in melodies, with various alterations in dynamics, “Dreams” is a perfect way to open the CD and proves there are many great things to lie ahead, as he sings, “I’ve got all this living to do/But I’ll make a dream out of you.”

“Dreams” evolves into “Make It Up To You,” an equally striking song, Schmidt has the unique ability to create ear-pleasing melodies with catchy arrangements so that not one listener could deny it. “On Sunday,” follows, and it is just another example of the incredible ability Schmidt has to make music. The evolution of Schmidt as a musician is extremely evident in “On Sunday.” It demonstrates that he is not strictly a singer-songwriter playing acoustic guitar—he is a musician with the ability to create a variety of different sounds, all appealing and intricate in their arrangement. The slower, ballad-like “All of Us,” follows, which leads into “Famous”—which is likely to be a fan-favorite from the album, as he sings “I’m always thinking of/ The things that you had said/ I’m really only famous/When I’m in your head.” Schmidt’s smoky vocals combined with the light instrumentation create a brilliant song where Schmidt’s talent shines through in the ease of the song. Without added elements, the song is simple and elegant, and it is here that we see the radiant talent that Schmidt possesses.

The next track is “Angel”—a rare beauty, lightly accompanied by acoustic guitar with the subtly of added drums. Here, Schmidt sings, “Light up everywhere you go/ With that beautiful smile/And I wish I could have you back/ Oh for just a little while/But excuse me, I need to get out my feelings/ Don’t leave me/ There’s so much in this world you never got to see…/God made an Angel out of you/And I won’t forget that smile.” “Angel” is a truly gorgeous song—wonderfully composed and written, it is songs like this that are hard to come by, and Schmidt delivers it perfectly.

“Angel” breaks into “Someday”—a catchy song driven by electric guitars, which then evolves into “Graduation,” a song that was also featured on his EP “On Your Way To Fly.” A pleasing song, it is nice to see Schmidt return with an older song on this new release. “Just So You Know” follows, a breezy song that features Lyndsay Wojcik on vocals in this duet. The mix of the two voices fits together flawlessly, and it is a change of pace for the album, and a perfect way to brighten the song. “No Safe Bet” ends on a lively note with “Get It Right One Time,” as Schmidt’s voice drives the song with the electric guitar accompanying him perfectly. The instrumentation here is superb, all elements molding together to create one perfect sound. Schmidt shows off his songwriting here with crafty lyrics such as “Don’t come to me when you figured out/That the picture that you painted had too many colors.” A brilliant way to end the album, it leaves the listener in anticipation of what more is to come from Schmidt and his music.

Pete Schmidt is a songwriter who does not write songs simply to write them, but one who obviously is completely dedicated to his craft. While singer-songwriters grow in numbers every day, Schmidt stands apart from the rest of the crowd. This latest release, “No Safe Bet,” is sure to be the album that lets Pete Schmidt be known to the world, and he is deserving of that at the least. For information on Pete Schmidt, visit www.peteschmidtmusic.com, and to order “No Safe Bet”, go to www.awarestore.com. Mark you calendars for March 16, because this is the day you should be welcoming Pete Schmidt’s music into your life, if you have not already.

From pluggedinmusic.org
Written by Nicole Roberge

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Pete Schmidt has the WB sound—you know all those bands that have been featured on several of their shows in the past couple of years that have gone from relatively obscure alternative rock bands to powering the influences of the mainstream. He’s got great pop appeal while still retaining that coffeehouse vibe that the sweater-wearing, dark-rimmed glasses-donning angstas (hip-hop has gangstas, alt-rock has angstas, ok?) will still clutch onto mightily. His vocals are a nod back to perhaps Howard Jones ala his hit “No One Is to Blame” but don’t get carried away and believe that this might be some kind of synth-pop or new wave knockabout—it’s pure emotional alternative rock. “All of Us” is firmly wedged into the emotional pop with domineering vocals pyramid while other tunes like “Dreams” can rock you out a bit more. I look down in astonishment and despite his incredible vocal range, innate ability to write great music, and opening gigs for Norah Jones, David Gray, John Mayer, The Violent Femmes, and Better than Ezra, he somehow does not have a record label gushing overtures in his direction. That my friends is a crime and I daresay is the reason that people steal the major labels’ music more and more often. If the industry can’t bend over backwards for someone of this caliber than they don’t deserve to be in charge anymore. Besides my wife really liked it.

From Smother.net
By J-Sin