Dandy Warhols guitarist Pete Holmström released his debut solo album, Pete International Airport, in September 2010. Holmström got the name for his project back in 1997 when the Dandy Warhols were in the studio recording their second studio album.
“I had strung a bunch of pedals together and was just making a bunch of noise in the studio,” recalls Holmström. “Our producer/engineer Tony Lash recorded it and when I came back to the control room later on there was a stereo track on the mixing board labeled Pete International Airport. We built a song around the sounds he had recorded for the album, and then I just always knew that was going to be the name of my solo project whenever it happened.”
The 12-track album features friends from the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Warlocks, Highway, The Upsidedown, M. Ward’s band and Australia’s Even. Check it out here.
Holmström has also been busy the last several months l touring with the Dandy Warhols in support of their summer release of The Capitol Years 1995-2007. The compilation album includes new tune “This is the Tide.” Watch the video below and check out Holmström’s Gretsch White Falcon, which he tells us his is favorite guitar at the moment.
“I got it about a year ago and it just plays really, really well,” he says. “The Bigsby on it – it’s unlike a Bigsby on any of my other guitars. I guess it’s because the spring is super sensitive or something so it’s really easy to do subtle things on it, as well as wrench on it.”
Holmström says he purchased the guitar to replace a ‘63 Gretsch Country Gentleman that he’s carried on the road for many years.
“I didn’t want to keep hauling the Gent around the world so I really got the Falcon as something to take on the road that I didn’t care about as much, but I’ve kind of fallen for it.”