Get To Know: Billy Peake

Calling Manic Waves a debut feels almost misleading. Billy Peake arrives with the accumulated instincts of a veteran songwriter, yet the record carries the energy of someone newly freed from expectation. It’s a late-career first statement that behaves less like introduction and more like correction. His history in earlier bands provides context but not constraint. Those years in respected Columbus projects and festival circuits feel less like a foundation being built upon and more like scaffolding that has finally been removed. What remains is a voice that is less interested in scene affiliation than in expressive necessity. The pandemic-era origin of the album adds another layer of cultural specificity. These songs emerge from isolation, but they are not isolated in tone. Instead, they process fragmentation—political, digital, emotional—as a shared condition. That gives the record a strange duality: inward-looking in creation, outward-facing in impact. What makes the album feel especially current is its refusal to treat generational disillusionment as aesthetic nostalgia. There’s no romanticizing of past optimism, no easy framing of decline as style. Instead, Peake writes from inside the fracture, not above it, producing a record that feels less like commentary on a moment and more like documentation of being inside it. In that sense, Manic Waves is not a delayed debut at all. It’s a necessary one—arriving exactly when its contradictions feel most legible

Keep reading for our interview with Billy Peake -

What was the creative process like for this project?

Honestly, it was bonkers. Most of the album was recorded during Covid-19 lockdown in the middle of the night because during the days I was working my day job (remotely) plus also helping my kids deal with the new reality of online education. And during most evenings, I was simply busy with my family and trying to catch up on missed work assignments. But I think the chaos of it all is captured in the frenetic nature of the music and lyrics. Those were very unnerving times, which definitely affected how the music was created, and ultimately released.

How does this new release differ from your previous work?

Well, this is the first time that I've ever written music that wasn't for a four or five piece rock band. With the exception of the acoustic drums and horns, I had to write and record everything. That was challenging, but also exhilarating. I normally only play guitar and sing on my band's albums, but writing songs with the bass guitar and playing a lot of keys, really helped me create songs and vibes that stray a little from my past. It afforded me the opportunity to lean into the new wave and 80s pop sounds that I loved as a kid.

Were there any particular challenges you faced while making this music?

The lack of free time and the lack of confidence and conviction to finish the project. I am an ADHD cliché. I start a lot of projects with grand ideas, but most of them remain unfinished. I even wrote a song about it, "Big Energy." The biggest actual hurdle was the fact that I didn't have a recording set up and had never engineered my own music. So I had to set that up and figure all that shit out while also writing and recording the songs. I maxed out some credit cards on recording equipment and keyboards.

Did you collaborate with any other artists or producers on this project?

Yes! Mike Montgomery mixed the record. He's mixed albums for Superchunk, The Breeders, Bat Fangs, and many more. He's brilliant and patient. Sarah Register mastered the record. She's worked with so many musicians that I love like Nada Surf, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, etc. Amelia Bushell (aka Extra Special) sang on two tracks, "Annie, you're a lightning bolt" and "Inadvertent Trip." I also had an amazing group of drummers, including my longtime friend and collaborator Jason Mowery, as well as Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley, St. Vincent) and Stephen Bidwell (Black Pumas).

What message or emotion do you hope listeners take away from this release?

When people hear it, I hope that they're inspired to create for themselves, and to be more mindful about how they treat people and treat themselves–and maybe check their privelege. I also hope listeners appreciate the fact that music is still being created by actual humans in attics and basements and smelly practice spaces that is meaningful and accessible. I think that what I am releasing is much more relevant to the typical listener than over-produced, passive sounds that dominate the streaming world. I am a 50 year-old ding dong who has to create music — if I don't, I will implode. But I think that the stuff I'm singing about may strike a chord with people, especially in these insane times.

Is there a story or concept that ties the songs together?

When I wrote the song "Manic Waves," the lyrics came quickly. I immediately thought, "OK this is the title track." We have to surf the highs and lows to land somewhere constructive. We are all built by our experiences. And the rest of the album chronicles the journey through extreme emotions like anger about political corruption and disinformation, joy and love for my family and friends, uncertainty about the future of our civilization, and hopefully some humor to balance it all out. So I thought Manic Waves was the perfect title to encapsulate that roller coaster ride. I apologize for mixing metaphors, but that is my modus operandi.

How has your sound or style evolved on this release compared to your earlier work?

Well. Since I did most of this in a vacuum, alone, I was able to step outside of my guitar nerd, indie rock comfort zone, and explore some of the sounds and rhythms that I loved when I was a kid. I was 8 years old in 1984. Back then, on Hot-FM 101 in Youngstown, Ohio, you could hear The Human League, Prince, Van Halen, Kool and The Gang, and Madonna in succession. All those bands had different sound aesthetics. But all of them made me bop! So I made a concerted effort to embrace a wider variety of sounds and styles. I still covered most of it with fuzz and distortion, but the journey was different.

Is there a track in your music discography that feels especially meaningful to you? What makes it stand out?

A lot of people have responded positively to "Annie, you're a lightning bolt." Honestly, it's quite difficult to write an earnest, heartfelt song for your kid without sounding like a total, cheeseball nut job. But I think that one turned out alright. And Amelia Bushell really lifted the song with her vocals. Her voice is both unique and technically excellent, a much needed complement to my very mediocre singing.

How do you plan to share this release with your audience? Are there any upcoming performances, videos, or special projects in the works?

I've put together a great live band. We had a big release show in Columbus in February and a few other dates in the works. I am also brainstorming ways to tour a bit as a solo artist. I have a few video concepts in the works and also some live recordings of songs from the LP that I plan to gradually release through the spring and summer. Thanks for asking and thanks for giving the LP a spin. I hope you find something you dig on there.

Website, Spotify

PR: Decent Music PR