Exclusive Interview with Jeff Petescia on his Double Single Drop, "Stompin' Around" and "I Can't Hide"
- Stefani M.C. Janelli
- Oct 17
- 16 min read
Jeff Petescia, best known as one-third of the indie alternative folk trio Cold Weather Company, is stepping into new sonic territory with his latest singles, “I Can’t Hide” and “Stompin’ Around.” Known for his upside-down, backwards guitar style and percussive, low-string rhythms, Jeff’s musicianship has always carried a unique edge, but these new tracks tap into the raw energy of ’90s rock and pop punk. Drawing comparisons to early Foo Fighters, Green Day, and The Offspring, the songs mark the beginning of a larger project that bridges his signature introspective sound with a grittier, high-energy feel. Started in 2021, the project showcases Jeff’s versatility as a songwriter unafraid to evolve while staying true to his creative roots.
SJ: Hey Jeff! Congrats on your upcoming releases. Can’t wait to dive into these songs.
JP: Thank you so much for this opportunity, I’m very excited to tell you all about them.
SJ: You’re part of the indie alternative cinematic folk-band Cold Weather Company, but you’ve also been carving out your own solo path. What sparked the decision to start releasing music on your own?
JP: I am indeed ⅓ of Cold Weather Company. We just released our 5th album, and I truly feel it is our best work yet.
There are 3 singer-songwriters in our group, and each of us has so many individual songs backlogged or that we’re currently working on. However, our best work as a band tends to be the songs we write more collaboratively. Sometimes we individually bring fully written songs to the drawing board to work on as a group, but most of the time we build songs together from scratch and from less developed ideas. These are the songs that really fire us up and truly feel like Cold Weather Company.
Recording music can take a while, and there’s only a certain amount of room on albums, EPs, etc. Our solo projects are important outlets for our individually written full songs, and they give many of them the opportunity to see the light of day instead of sitting in a vault. Steve has Spiral Seas, Brian has Haven & Hazard, and I have the cleverly titled “Jeff Petescia” (I do also have pet droid, an electronic collaboration with my good friend and electronic musician Bad Opera).
Additionally, some songs just feel like they belong in other projects outside of the band sonically or lyrically. Whether it’s these '90s acoustic rock-ish tracks that I’ll be diving into with you, or my softer acoustic EP Falling Asleep, these really aren’t CWC songs. It’s nice to have multiple projects sometimes for different sounds.
*Note: Haven & Hazard and Spiral Seas expand beyond music; I encourage you to dive deeper into Brian and Steve’s work outside of CWC.
SJ: You play guitar in such a distinctive way, backwards! How did that come about? Did anyone ever try to “correct” you in the beginning? JP: I do play guitar upside down, backwards, upside down and backwards, or a new word to describe it coined by Greg Gottlieb, a friend of mine studying this exact thing, is idiodextrous. This means I hold a right-handed guitar the opposite way (left-handed) without changing the order of the strings so that my low E is on the bottom and high E is on top. A lot of people will say, “oh, like Jimi Hendrix,” but that is not really correct. In his earlier days, I’ve been told Hendrix began this way, but the famous Jimi Hendrix you love and listen to played with only the guitar body upside down. He flipped the strings so that the order was “correct” with the low E on top, high E on the bottom. Some recognizable names that play(ed) with upside-down strings would be Eric Gales, Dick Dale, Elizabeth Cotten, Albert King, and Doyle Bramhall II.
While right-handed (and footed) in nearly all circumstances, for some reason, it feels more comfortable to hold a guitar (or hockey stick/golf club) left-handed. I remember wanting to play guitar so badly as a kid, but I wasn’t sure how serious I was about it. I was the only one of my siblings to never have learned an instrument in school. Guitar was something I wanted to try on my own for fun and keep to myself, and the only one in the house was my sister’s right-handed guitar. I could’ve been like my actual left-handed bandmate, Brian Curry, and just learned how to play a right-handed guitar the correct way, but I decided to try out what felt comfortable. 18 years later, I am still playing guitar the “wrong” way. Since I was self-taught and learned through jamming with friends, no one really tried to “correct” the way I played. As I progressed, I think people just accepted it as the way I do it. I’m sure if I had gotten guitar lessons early on, a guitar teacher would’ve stepped in and made me change my ways.
SJ: What made you stick with that technique? It’s become a defining part of your sound, especially with that percussive edge.
JP: I wanted to be able to go places and play other peoples’ guitars, especially early on when I was learning and going to friends’ houses. Left-handed guitars exist out in the world, but they are less common. Most of the guitars one encounters when out and about are right-handed guitars. Even at guitar stores, there are usually only a few left-handed options.
I enjoy the technique of it, and I’ve been told it has its own sound, which is cool to hear. I tend to focus on the lower strings when I strum, and I’m not positive that that’s caused by my playing upside down, but maybe?
SJ: On social media, you share a lot of covers; sometimes even while juggling a soccer ball with your feet. One artist who shows up often is Dave Matthews. Was he, or his guitar style, a big influence for you?
JP: Absolutely. The way I strum is definitely influenced by Dave Matthews, as well as other Chadwick Stokes of Dispatch, Jack Johnson, Bob Weir of Grateful Dead, and I credit Iron & Wine, Eddie Vedder, and The Tallest Man on Earth songs for teaching me to fingerpick. I took all their styles + others and made a salad called me.
I post a lot of covers for fun and as a way to market myself online, and there’s definitely a lot of DMB songs I post. The DMB communities I’ve tapped into on Facebook in the past, and these days TikTok primarily, are really passionate and supportive, and I’ve been lucky to gain more and more DMB fan followers who pop into livestreams and know me as the DMB-covering, upside-down-guitar guy. I’m always happy to take their requests, and this just inevitably leads to more and more DMB song content. I actually spoke to Renae recently on The Space Between Podcast (a podcast that tells the stories of DMB fans) about my music journey, CWC, DMB fandom, and how the first DMB show I saw in 2005 changed my life.
And ah–yes, my guitar + soccer ball trick. A story for another time, but it is a fun thing I discovered I could do (and like to think I invented) many years ago. It’s fun attempting songs this way and posting every so often.
SJ: You’re gearing up to release not one, but two singles on October 17th. Why did you decide to release them together? Do they feel connected in some way?
JP: I narrowed it down to these 2 tracks for the 1st release of this project I am working on, and since I couldn’t decide between them, I just said, “why not both?” They’re related in sound and in meaning. I’m excited for them because my solo music is usually more in the singer-songwriter, indie folk realm and is often compared to Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, and Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service). The feedback I’ve gotten for these tracks are that they’re more 90s rock, acoustic-Green Day or early Foo Fighters, which is cool to hear. Anyone who knows me knows that my music foundation includes a lot of pop punk and 90s rock, so it’s nice to showcase those influences. I can’t really call it a truly “new direction” because at this point these songs were written ~5 years ago, it just took a while for me to finish recording them. My solo releases are always a mixture of newer songs and ones from the backlog I mentioned previously. Recording these songs was a really fun process as well, and I collaborated with some long-time friends of mine who are also from my hometown of Sparta, NJ. These songs, and most of my solo music, are produced by James Mehrkens, and they feature Jon Rodney, of Jon Boy and formerly Deal Casino, on bass, and Evan Roque, of Brooklyn-based Nancy Whitaker, on drums.
Both tracks pair well because they contain a similar message. They’re about that awkward mental limbo I’m sure many artists, or anybody with a creative, entrepreneurial spirit, experiences as the years pass and they fall deeper and deeper into adulthood with other careers and responsibilities forefront. A passion is not just a hobby if it consumes your brain most of the time and feels like your purpose. The desire to primarily focus on your craft can make you feel like you’re straying from the “norm” in terms of priorities. It's not all or nothing; it’s certainly fine and feasible to be a balance, especially these days with social media marketing. You’re always an artist, even if “life” shelves your availability to do your art at times. But that feeling of being in the in-between of “real life” (as defined by some) and pursuing a passion is a confusing space that gets isolating and difficult. Having to spend less time on your craft can feel like a betrayal to yourself, especially if you know in your gut and heart that it’s truly your main priority.
SJ: Let’s start with “Stompin’ Around.” What’s the story behind this track? JP: Stompin’ Around is basically an anthem for anyone I described above. The message is to keep at it, be stubborn, level up, but also face some facts. The bridge says, “no one’s chasing after you,” and that “stubbornly you must pursue it.” These lines are meant to be a dose of reality while motivating the listener to keep that fire lit. In other words, it is not going to be handed to you. Maybe Main Character Syndrome helps manifest whatever success you hope to achieve, but I prefer to ditch that idea and focus on the love, energy, connections you build, and the hard work you’re putting in without some grandiose sense of entitlement. I truly believe you do make your own luck, but it comes with patience, persistence, and pursuing from a place of inspiration. I was speaking with someone recently who said that one should be a bit delusional to a degree in order to achieve “success” as an artist. I don’t disagree with that, but I think there’s a balance. You are special, while you’re also not. Stay focused, put yourself out there and make connections, and hold onto that belief that your time will come. You define success for yourself, and the line between delusion and self-belief, unfortunately, will show itself to you retroactively.
The idea of stompin’ around comes from a hypothetical and maybe insecure view of myself metaphorically stomping around like a toddler having a tantrum. The image represents prioritizing music while others in some circles of mine are focused on more “normal” priorities. It’s that classic concept of feeling immature for taking a dream seriously, as silent judgments could be surrounding you. My pursuit isn’t a burden to anybody, and so many people support me, so that image actually isn’t accurate. I like to think I balance my life pretty well, but it’s just how it feels sometimes.
SJ: The message really speaks to artists and creators. It’s okay to be “delusional,” to keep “stompin’ around” your own path, even when society or family might expect something different. Was that a lesson you had to learn the hard way? Is it still something you wrestle with?
JP: It is definitely something I wrestle with, but again, I am lucky to be surrounded by so many supportive people. I wouldn’t say it’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way, but as life happens and things change, keeping motivated can be tough, and it can be hard not to get discouraged. I think another element of that stomping child metaphor points to a past “why not me?” false sense of entitlement. Mental complaints like “why hasn’t this happened yet for me?” used to occur more, but I learned to take a step back and appreciate the success I have had. Sometimes we forget to look down at the step of the staircase we’re on and absorb how far we’ve come. 14-year-old me, sitting hunched over at the family computer screen, teaching himself Blink-182 songs, would be so proud of what I’ve achieved so far. The stomping metaphor may have originated from a degree of desperation, chasing success in music for the wrong reasons. At times, I was chasing it as a means of escape from other endeavors, eating up my time. I think these last few years, especially, I’ve just grown to define my goals and pursue them from a place of inspiration and appreciation. I am special, but I am also not. I always say, regardless of where this path takes me, I’m just going to do all of this anyway. If all of this is just going to lead me to playing shows in my local bar in my 60s covering Dave Matthews and Peter Gabriel songs, so be it. If my TikTok following has a ceiling and my posts are meant to get 100 views, so be it. I just love it, but I do truly feel more is to come for my/my bandmates’ music career, and I’m going to keep on stompin’ around (in the positive sense, not in the tantrum sense).
SJ: What about “I Can’t Hide”? What inspired this one?
JP: This song is more of a direct message to myself and a reminder that I cannot hide from my true desire of investing most of my time into pushing music as far as it can go. It’s a nod to my younger self, and an acceptance that I am no longer him in many ways. When periods of adulthood get busy and force less focus on my music career, there’s certainly guilt involved and a feeling of betrayal to that starry-eyed younger-me. Burnout happens, and that’s okay. But when I’m less motivated to pick up a guitar or create content, there’s guilt there. A passion can lead to an unhealthy addiction of chasing it, and your mental health can ride the ups and downs of social media traction. I’m pretty much echoing everything I said above about Stompin’ Around. This is all just a narrative and dialogue in my head, really, but the takeaway of the song is that I cannot hide from the desire to set my life up so music can be a larger piece of the pie chart.
SJ: You’ve said that leaning into a more traditional or “real” life can feel like betraying your younger, dreamer-self. Why do you think that tension feels so strong for you?
JP:
These days it’s much less dramatic, and the dialogue in my head is much healthier, but it was definitely stronger when I was writing I Can’t Hide. I think the tension was so strong because of that feeling of being meant to do more in music. It’s hard to describe with language, but I think anyone with a passion can relate. Delusion? Self-belief? Both? It’s what I live and breathe, and it’s pretty much all I think about. There’s certainly a dance of keeping your passion alive and well, being productive in other areas in your life, and doing your best to prevent your goals from becoming an unhealthy obsession.
To elaborate a bit on one thing I mentioned above about defining “success” for yourself, I think it’s important to remember one does not always have to “boil the ocean” in order to achieve “success” in music. I think when people hear you’re trying to make music your main endeavor, sometimes there’s this image implied of trying to be some household name, selling out stadiums. A sort of lust for stardom, or something. The world is such a big place, and you really don’t need to capture it all. There’s oceans, but there’s also bays and coves. It’s very feasible to develop a following and generate “success” for yourself. But hey, shoot for the stars, that’s awesome. For me, a stadium would be fun, maybe I’ll get lucky sometime and guest as some pop star's guitarist for a gig. I’ve always had my eyes on theaters, and I am grateful to have played a few in my career so far. Of course, large stages at festivals would be pretty awesome too.
SJ: Sonically, these songs lean more toward ’90s pop-punk/alternative compared to your usual style. What pulled you in that direction? Do you feel like the sound highlights some angst in the lyrics?
JP: I think these songs embody a certain mood for sure, and they were both written in the same time period that was full of a lot of frustration and reflection. As I began to play them on livestreams and record demos, they felt like songs that wanted a fuller sound. A lot of my solo music, including my recent EPs Far Beneath the Sun and Falling Asleep, is more stripped-down and self-recorded in my bedroom, where I’ll send stems over to James Mehrkens (and sometimes he’ll add some cool textures such as synths). These tracks, along with the rest of the album(?), they’re from are songs with a fuller sound of drums and bass, and more, and they are primarily recorded in person. There’s, of course, a remote element of it still, some tracks I record myself. Other songs feature remote recordings from Riley Byrne on bass/cello, a friend of mine who I’ve worked with for years on my solo music and Cold Weather Company recordings, and John Radomski, a Seattle-based drummer whom I connected with on TikTok, actually. Overall, the creation process for these songs has been really fun and collaborative. The sessions are basically catching up with old friends, ordering some tasty food, and working on some art.
SJ: How does the recording process for your solo music differ from working with CWC?
JP: The processes are actually pretty similar all around. Our earlier CWC records were way more DIY, self-recorded in dorm rooms and bedrooms, just like my solo stripped-down stuff. These days, we record primarily in a studio, but sometimes we record parts ourselves. When we do meet up to record, whether it’s with Pat Noon at Eight Sixteen or to demo ourselves, it’s just really fun and feels like a retreat, or a recording camp, or something. It has the same elements I described above, it’s just lots of good food and good people all catching up and hanging out, making something cool. It’s a really awesome collaborative vibe. Also, these circles are not separate—they interweave. We work with James Mehrkens every so often on CWC projects like livestreams, and sometimes on parts of songs. He recorded Eila’s vocals for our song "Traditions" on our new record, and he’s helped with other songs on past albums.
SJ: You’ve been developing these solo songs since 2021, but you also just released a full album, In Time, with Cold Weather Company. How do you decide whether a song belongs on a solo record versus a CWC record?
JP: This goes back to the earlier part of the conversation about our collaborative writing process as a band, but how sometimes fully written individual songs do make it. An example of that would be Where the Moonmats Meet from our new album. This was a song I brought to the guys because it felt like a CWC song. When writing it, I could hear Brian’s nylon guitar being plucked, Steve’s piano, and both of their harmonies, especially during the bridge. It’s funny, whether a song or song idea is going to be a CWC track or not is something we all normally just feel. No words really need to be spoken; there’s an energy. When Steve brought his idea that would eventually become Levitate, it just felt like something special and a CWC song. Same thing when Brian started playing the chords to Grateman, and same thing when I showed the guys the idea that would become Let Your Love Last. Some ideas or full songs just have a spark right from the start that gets us excited as a unit.
SJ: In Time is your first full-length release since 2021. What story did you want to tell with this album?
JP: I think this album tells the story of growth in 12 years of bandhood. It captures where we’re all at currently, the ups and downs we’ve experienced as a group, and it gets philosophical about why we do what we do. Like all of our albums, it is a time capsule of the last few years, blending our perceptions and telling the stories of both one unit and three individuals. We love what we do, and we’re grateful for the support and the ride it’s been, and we’re very excited to keep creating. I really feel that this record, our fifth album, is our best work yet, and maybe the most fun we’ve had making an album.
SJ: Do you have a personal favorite track from that record?
I do! I love every song, but my favorite is "Traditions," a mostly instrumental song that features Eila’s amazing vocals. I just love how cinematic it sounds and truly feel it belongs in a movie scene. It was the first song that we began writing, putting this project into motion. Then, it turns out that the final recording added to this album was Elia’s voice on this track, which is a fun story of stars aligning in a way.
We thought the album was done being recorded, and we were just finalizing mixes with Pat Noon, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing in "Traditions." It was epic, and nearly exactly how I imagined it would sound, but midway through the song, I really started hearing riffing vocals in my head. I remember being in Walgreens in Jersey City Heights listening to mixes, getting hit with the feeling that “this needs The Great Gig in the Sky (Pink Floyd)-style vocals, with a flavor of new age, something reminiscent of Enya but epic.” There wasn’t much time, and we set up mastering dates already, and finding someone for this seemed tricky. After running the idea by a few people separately, Eila’s name kept coming up (she was already part of the choir in our song Crystalline, also from In Time, and had collaborated with Steve separately). Coincidentally, James Mehrkens also works with Eila frequently as her guitar player and producer, and he had a recording date booked with her that week. With an already full agenda on their end, they were able to make time to try out ideas on "Traditions." I sent a rough recording of me riffing vocally to give some direction. It was definitely not good, but it helped paint the picture, along with the Pink Floyd reference. The rest was history. They were able to get 5 or so takes of improvisational vocal riffing, and we chose our favorite (it wasn’t an easy choice).
I could talk about every song on this album for hours, but "Traditions" is the one that gives me chills every time I hear it.
SJ: What’s one song you wish you had written?
JP: It’s funny, I’ve definitely thought about this. I think New Light by John Mayer is sort of a perfect song. Catchy, meaningful, beautiful guitar parts, etc. Maybe Superman by Goldfinger. Maybe a masterpiece like Stairway to Heaven or a Queen song.
SJ: Looking ahead, what’s next for your solo work? Can we expect an album and more shows?
JP: I think this project is an album. All the songs have bass and drums and a “full sound,” but some will be lighter and more reminiscent of my indie folk singer-songwriter stuff, while other songs are more in the rock direction. I think there’ll be a B-sides or a future EP as well, I just have too many of these songs in the backlog, and it is so rewarding to finally release them. You can definitely expect solo shows; they pop up every so often.
SJ: Thanks so much for chatting! Can’t wait to see these tracks out! JP: Thank you again for providing a platform to share my story!
Stream "Stompin' Around" and "I Can't Hide" below!
Credits:
James Mehrkens - Mixing Engineer/ Recording Engineer
Evan Roque - Drums, Brooklyn-based drummer
Current band: Nancy Whitaker
Jon Rodney - Bass
Current project: Jon Boy, formerly of Deal Casino
Jeff Petescia - All vocals, guitars, songwriting
