We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Peter J. Lehman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Peter, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

The first time I knew I wanted to make music was when I was about 14. Some friends and I were working on starting a band and writing songs. I was into punk and grunge rock at the time and I had this dream that was unrooted in reality of getting a van and going to California after I graduated high school. I thought that’s what one did in order to be a rock star. But after my freshman year my family moved from Alaska to Missouri which was a huge culture shock and it put those plans to a halt. I eventually lost touch with my future band mates and the dream fizzled out.

An interesting thing happened though. In rural Missouri I learned about gospel and bluegrass and I developed an appreciation for it. I bought an acoustic guitar and started going to bluegrass jams. An older gentleman from church who was a stand up bass player took me under his wing and taught me about gospel and bluegrass. The world of music had just gotten bigger.

After I graduated from high school I went to trade school to learn pipe welding and fitting. I wanted a skill that I could take anywhere and always find employment. I went to work and music went on the back burner. By my late twenties it resurfaced and I began to write songs again and hone my guitar skills. This time it took and I finally treated it very seriously. I dedicated myself to honing my craft, I still haven’t quit my day job but little by little my music profession is growing in positive ways. I’ve been working with a label based in France and my second release with them will be available in the coming months.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I love music. Music got me through some dark times and my hope is that my music could do the same for others. If my music has a positive impact on just one person then I’d consider it a success. That’s why I do it. I started my own label, Phantom Leg Records so that I can have full creative control. I have a studio space where I do all my own recordings and I’ve recorded others as well. I hope to someday be equipped well enough to produce and record more projects for other musicians.

My favorite place to be is in the studio. I also enjoy playing live but I absolutely love writing and recording.

For those who haven’t heard me, I craft a brew of blues, folk and soul and rock with a bit of psychedelia sprinkled in. I’m constantly working on drawing from all of my favorite genres and turning it into a cohesive sound of my own. I’m closer and closer to zeroing in and finding my voice.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to make a great album. That might be silly and a bad business model in the age of singles and streaming and/or perhaps it’s to stroke my creative ego. (I hope not) but I still feel like it’s magic when I sit down and listen to a great album from beginning to end while reading the liner notes, lyrics and looking at the artwork. I’ve released two albums so far but I’m still trying to make that great one. I still think albums are important and that’s still my favorite way to consume music.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There are so many resources available at our fingertips, literally. I have learned so much online from articles, you tube videos, forums, etc. As far as books go, two of the most inspiring I’ve read are The War Of Art, by Steven Pressfield and
Hit Makers: How To Succeed In The Age Of Distraction, by Derek Thompson.
I highly recommend these titles to aspiring creatives/entrepreneurs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.peterjlehman.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterjlehmanmusic/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/peterjlehman
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC4309kSTlirdJGuplUXDgbg

Image Credits
Cover image and images 3 & 5 by Caleb Churchill