Pete Briley, like many artists, found himself within diƯerent bands over the years, probably best known for being part of the trio who are The Outlaw Orchestra – but Briley’s breadth of musical talents meant not all his ideas worked within the Outlaw’s typical genre. There was always the feeling he had more to give.

Hailing from a musical family, and with influences such as The OƯspring, Rolling Stones to name but a couple – you might be forgiven to think that Briley would be an outright rocker – you
would be wrong. Whilst claiming to be a bassist by trade, you can find Pete at the helm of lap steel, pedal steel, banjo, mandolin, rhythm and bass guitars… and its no stretch to include the
digeridoo, percussion pipes and more. It might take a keen ear to identify them all but listen to his debut album and I’m sure you will!

Boasting his now instantly recognisable storytelling style, this is yet another track that instantly uplifts and takes you to another place. How he manages to continually harness the warmth of
the sun and an irresistible smile through his music is beyond me – tones of a perpetual summer from this dynamic songwriter.

“Cracking the Flacks” is a unique title, which arose from something similar to misheard song lyrics – Briley believing for a long time that this was the northern phrase he had heard during his university years in Yorkshire… We eagerly await the reaction to such a suggestion! But it’s the story behind it which puts it all into perspective – ‘It was the first time a woman had ever brought me a drink – she asked how old I was and immediately bolted’ Pete recalls, the memory which sparked a general sense of the optimism and ambition of the 19-year-old version of himself. ‘I don’t know what the weather was doing in Bradford on my 19th birthday, but it’s a metaphor for
the exuberance of youth, chasing your dreams.’

The sentiment summed up rather eloquently with the final lyrics…

Life didn’t turn out quite the way I’d planned it But I guess that ain’t so bad, given where I landed.