Released in the UK via Compass Records on February 23rd 2009

"One of the most open-hearted practitioners of new folk...Pettis's voice beckons with something to say." The Boston Globe

"A torrent of musical language that speaks to the head and the heart." The San Francisco Chronicle

After a lifetime of crafting finely-wrought, heart-touching songs, singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis feels that he’s finally found his comfort zone. “The biggest change,” he says of this point in his career “has been getting over myself and realising this is a job and a craft. And the purpose is not fame and fortune (whatever that is) but simply doing good work.”

“I think this album is more song-centred,” says Pierce Pettis about his ninth release, That Kind of Love. “We were far more focused on making the album about the songs rather than the other way around. Each track feels quite unique to me and stands solidly on its own.”

That Kind of Love was four years in the making. Having the advantage of time on his side allowed Pettis’ songs the room to grow and mature while he played them live. “I think that sets this album apart from my previous ones,” he says. “I'm hoping the listeners will notice the difference.” The timeframe also assisted Pettis with song selection. “The intervening four years pushed some songs to the surface over time, while others fell back... sort of a ‘survival of the fittest.’ So the songs that ended up on the album pretty much chose themselves,” he explains.

Pettis’ albums, like his live shows, are peppered with judiciously selected cover arrangements as well, many of which are given their trials out on the road, before making the cut or not. For instance, Pettis worked on the arrangement for Jesse Winchester’s “Talk Memphis” for over a year before even playing it live. “And then when I did start playing the song,” say Pettis, “it got smoother, more relaxed, more confident over time.” Both that track and “Nothing But the Wind” written by the late Mark Heard had strong associations for Pettis. He worked with Heard on his 1991 album Tinseltown, during the sessions for which their relationship transcended that of the producer/artist. After Heard’s untimely death in 1992, Pettis committed to including a song of Heard’s on every one of his own albums, a practice that continues to this day on That Kind of Love.

Two of the self-penned tracks that mean the most to Pettis are “I Am Nothing” and “Farewell”. The first, he explains, “was inspired by Don Dunaway -- a superb singer/songwriter who has labored in obscurity at a small tourist bar in Florida for over 30 years. The second is the story of my great, great, great grandmother and is dedicated to my mother and my daughter.”

One additional track that Pettis is particularly happy to see on this record is “To Dance”, a song that he co-wrote with an old college friend, Greta Larson. “This is a song I'd had for many years and always believed was very special. Yet, for the longest time, I couldn't seem to convince anyone else of it's worth. That's probably because I hadn't come up with an arrangement that could really get the song across. When I finally did, I tried it out live at the Bluebird in Nashville (sharing a writer's night with Buddy Monlock, Darrell Scott, and Tim O'Brien – three of the best!) and it brought the house down. That's when I knew it was time to record it.”

That Kind of Love features many guest artists who have appeared on Pettis’ past recordings. Stuart Duncan (fiddle, banjo), Andrea Zonn (background vocals, strings), Reese Wynans (Hammond B3), Phil Madeira (Hammond B3, accordion), Kenny Malone (drums, percussion), Byron House (bowed acoustic bass), and Garry West (electric bass) who also produced the album. West, co-owner of Compass Records, also brought in some artists who were new to Pettis’ music: local singer-songwriters Katie Herzig and Jeremy Lister (backing vocals), Rob McNelley (lead and slide guitar), Todd Phillips (acoustic bass) and Russ Pahl (pedal steel, electric guitar).

Ultimately, Pettis’ focus is on crafting a song that everyone can identify with, something his legions of fans would say that he succeeds time and time again in doing. “I've come to believe that songwriting, for me at least, has to be totally about the song, and everything going into the process should serve that end. The song is not there to serve an end – like pushing a particular point of view, venting emotions, righting past wrongs, or advertising the writer's ego. It IS the end. And I think what makes a song universal is not what people see of me in the song – but what they can see of themselves.”

Pettis currently lives in Alabama with his wife and their young son. Pettis’ upcoming release on Compass Records, That Kind of Love, will be available in the UK on February 23^rd 2009.

For more information please visit www.myspace.com/piercepettismusic or contact Jay Taylor at Quite Great Roots on 01223 410000 or email jay@quitegreat.co.uk