As a long-time fan of Peter McPoland, I was ecstatic at the opportunity to interview him before his Friday afternoon set at Kilby Block Party. With no tour or release announced, the festival was a one-off show for Peter. It was a pleasant surprise to see his name on the poster.

The last time I saw McPoland play live was at his show at Kilby Court in 2022. It was his first headline tour following the release of his EP “Slow Down.”

I asked Peter about the possibility of a near-future release, and he was excited to explain a little bit about his upcoming music. “I think with this album especially, I started writing outward and not from first person as much. And it kind of reignited the joy. I really like writing the most.”

Peter’s songs feel character-based and are rooted in world-building with imagery and lyrics. “I guess I’m just into that. I listened to a lot of John Prine in a very formative time, and he’s a very descriptive writer,” he said. “He had said in an interview, he had felt like after time, the [songs] had started feeling like characters… They started feeling like people. He’s singing this song, and it’s almost like a friend.”

Peter’s most recent release is an EP aptly titled “Friend.” It’s a collection of songs that was a diversion from his previous album “Piggy,” which features a more electronic sonic palette and darker lyrical themes.

“Friend” found McPoland reconnecting with his roots. I asked him about the choice to oscillate between styles and incorporate different influences into his music. “As I’m discovering music for the first time, I’m like, ‘Oh, I wanna try to make that.’ And the only difference is, if you have an audience, the experimentation is now put into the job,” he said. “so on this one, I’m experimenting. I went off of the computer, it’s just tape. There’s only eight tracks for every song … I feel like there’s a really healthy balance between everything.”

Mcpoland is also an unforgettable performer. His energy and physicality were not far from feral at certain points of his show, and knowing about his past as a theatre kid, I took the chance to ask if he felt like that had an effect on his performances as a musician.

“I love performing so much. I like the art of it. I think it’s really cool. I think that gave me a lot of experience on how far you can push yourself.”

He went on to explain that in the early days, he and his high school band would rehearse after theatre practices and that many of his old friends are now playing on stage with him.  ”I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. This is the dream.”

Watching McPoland’s performance, it was easy to feel the camaraderie and history the band shared. “I feel like I’ve wandered through the music industry, and this feels like I’ve finally reached the point where I can bring them in,” McPoland said.

Peter’s journey as a musician took off around 2020 with the rise of TikTok. In his song “Digital Silence” and in many of his online posts, he slyly comments on his relationship with the internet and his audience. I asked Peter about the choice to address those matters in his music.

“I owe it everything … it’s this really interesting relationship, but, even the terrible parts of the internet, when it bites you really hard, you learn a lot about yourself.”

Onstage, Mcpoland pulled a wild card and played Travis Scott’s viral hit “Fien” as an interlude in his set. He wore a smirk as he played through the song. It was refreshing to see an accomplished and recognized artist not taking themselves too seriously. The crowd could tell he was having fun, and it was contagious.

McPoland has also had a heavy hand creatively in his music videos and other artwork that accompanies his music. I asked if he had anything exciting with the next release in the works, and he explained that since recently leaving the Columbia Record label, he feels more inclined and in control to do things on his own. “Now I can funnel passion into it … So I’m excited for the next rollout.”

Keep your eyes out for more Peter McPoland wherever you get your music.