Pete Francis

Pete Francis Heimbold (August 1, 1975) is a founding member of the alternative roots band Dispatch. Since departing the group in 2019, he has established himself as a producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, mental health advocate, and educator. His latest solo release is PTRN SKY! (out May 12, 2023 on Noble Steed Music). Francis grew up in Riverside, Connecticut, the youngest of four children, and drew early influence from the likes of Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, and Miles Davis.

As a student at Middlebury College in Vermont, Francis formed a band with guitarist/bassist/songwriter Chad Urmston and drummer Brad Corrigan. Originally called One Fell Swoop, the group soon changed its name to Dispatch and would go on to sell more than 700,000 albums, sell out New York's Madison Square Garden five times and Boston's TD Garden three times, and become the first group to sell out New Jersey's Red Bull Arena. On July 31, 2004, the band drew more than 100,000 people to Boston's Hatch Memorial Shell.Though few knew it at the time, Francis was fighting an increasingly difficult battle with depression throughout his years of touring and recording with Dispatch, and after taking multiple leaves of absence, he eventually made the decision to step away from the band entirely in order to focus more fully on his health and wellbeing in 2019.Francis recorded several solo albums on the side during his years with Dispatch, and in 2023, he announced his first collection since departing the group, PTRN SKY! Leaning heavily on synthesizers and drum loops and embracing the marriage of organic and electronic elements, the collection marks a sonic leap for Francis, who reckons with the depression and anxiety that have dogged him for most of his adult life by transforming doubt and pain into growth and transcendence at every turn.In addition to his work as a musician, Francis has also taught songwriting at Middlebury College and collaborated with his wife, the visual artist Katie Heimbold, to launch the Dragoncrest Collective, a community organization that seeks to bring artists and art-lovers together through a series of live, interactive shows and events.He currently lives in Connecticut.