Peter Spink's Biography

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Biography

From his first moments of memory, Singer-songwriter Peter Spink has heard music. The son of an accomplished Ragtime pianist, Peter began playing piano at age five. By age thirteen he was on his way to mastering the guitar by routinely stealing the instrument from his sister's bedroom when she was not around. Composing music came naturally to him, and it wasn't long before Mr. Spink began telling his own stories in song.

After earning a degree in English from Vassar College, Mr. Spink spent the next 10 years as a free-lance journalist. He had already begun honing his song-writing skills in high school, illegally driving the 45-minutes into NYC’s Greenwich Village clubs to perform his songs on open-mike nights. Once a journalist, he began performing around his work schedule and it wasn't long before Mr. Spink's music found a growing audience placing him on the folk circuit, touring coffeehouses, colleges and concert series.

“Mr. Spink’s music is infused with optimism and the excitement of striking out upon new territory, new experiences...”
– The New York Times

For Mr. Spink, it has been a 10-year road to Heartland, his fourth and latest release, which is strongly inspired by his years playing smaller venues as a duo with violinist Chris Tedesco. Sparsely orchestrated, Heartland is powerfully concentrated in its clean, wistful, evocative sound comprised only of violin, acoustic guitar, Hammond organ and voice. The songs are some of Mr. Spinks best storytelling to date. Mr. Spink recorded Heartland on his own in the cavernous basement dining hall of a nearby 130-year-old Masonic Temple, taking more than two years to complete.

Heartland follows Mr. Spink’s widely acclaimed third release, Road Show: a collection of contemporary folk and roots-rock originals, honed over hundreds of outdoor summer concerts with his band. It was hailed as “an impressive compilation.” by the Sunday New York Times and earned him comparisons with The Dave Matthews Band from ELLE magazine.

Mr. Spink's second release, All There Is, features performances by friends Ellis Paul, Cathie Ryan and Annie Burns. "This recording,” Peter says, "tells of people at the crossroads, wrestling with their demons or regrets". Scott McLennan of the Telegram & Gazette said of All There Is: “It’s adult fare but with a definite kick.” Peter at Woodstock '94

Mr. Spink first CD entitled, Won't Be Denied, was produced by Scott Petito, features some of today's finest musicians including Leslie Ritter; Jay Ungar on fiddle and mandolin, and Randy Ciarlanti (of The Band fame) on drums. The CD was embraced by radio stations across the country with more than 40 AAA stations adding a total of seven cuts to their playlists. Composer David Amram called Peter and the album, "A breath of fresh air to the industry." Following the release of Won't Be Denied, Mr. Spink was recruited by Michael Lang to perform in Woodstock Reunion '94. He has since shared the stage with scores of well-known musicians, including John Prine, The Doobie Brothers, Iris Demente, and John Gorka.

Peter's “Feel the Heat Tour” seven summer tours were underwritten by international spicy food producer Chile Today - Hot Tamale, Peter's music to reach a larger audience. Of Peter's show, John Bates - Outta Sights & Sounds concerts organizer - writes "Peter is marked for greatness". The tour was such a success that it has become an annual summer event, now in its seventh year, encompassing about 40 shows in June, July and August. Mr. Spink is the recipient of four Billboard Honorable Mention awards for song writing excellence. He has been awarded a national “Meet The Composer” grant Spring 1999. Mr. Spink currently averages 75+ performances per year. Mr. Spink resides with his wife and three children in Katonah, New York.