“‘Free Forever’ is about embracing the ambiguity in relationships,” says Chad Peck. “The verses dig into the doubts, the hang-ups, and the untold stories we carry — both in ourselves and with others. But the choruses flip the script: they’re about finding comfort in uncertainty, letting go of the illusion of control, and speaking your truth. Maybe there’s still time to set things right.”
Peck also gives a nod to Matthew Sweet for inspiring the lyric “beautiful and true,” calling his small-bar show in Halifax one of the best he’s ever seen. “John Agnello loved this track,” he adds. “The vibe in the studio that day was electric.” Watch the video via YouTube below.
Video by Rob Feulner.
Meet Chad Peck: The Mind Behind Kestrels
Think of a musician quoting Ulysses — you probably imagine a brooding, glasses-wearing nerd strumming an acoustic guitar. Chad Peck? He’s a high school English teacher from Canada who’s just as likely to reference Stephen Dedalus as he is to gush over the Beach Boys or a killer fuzz pedal.
Peck’s band, Kestrels, is set to drop their most ambitious record yet, ‘Better Wonder,’ on February 14, 2025, via Darla Records. The album dives into love, loss, and a life spent chasing meaning. “‘History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake,’” Peck says, quoting Ulysses. “That line fits perfectly.”
A Love Letter to Music
Kestrels started in 2008, but Peck’s musical journey began in his teens, devouring punk cassettes and teaching himself guitar at the kitchen table. Inspired by the Beach Boys, Nirvana, and Smashing Pumpkins, he later launched his label, Noyes Records, to release his music and support local bands.
The band’s 2012 release, ‘A Ghost History,’ opened doors, leading to U.K. and U.S. tours. In 2016, their self-titled record earned spots opening for Dinosaur Jr. and Ash. Peck forged a friendship with J Mascis during those tours, which eventually led to collaborations on 2020’s Dream or Don’t Dream. That record, a mostly solo effort, was helmed by renowned producer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile) and mastered by Greg Calbi (David Bowie, Blondie).
Now, with ‘Better Wonder,’ Peck’s pushing further, working again with Agnello and a revamped lineup that includes bassist Jim MacAlpine (Weird Nightmare) and drummer Michael Catano (North of America).
A Deep Dive Into ‘Better Wonder’
Peck describes ‘Better Wonder’ as “a nighttime record riddled with anxiety.” Writing began in 2021 during a turbulent period in his rural Canadian home. “I lived alone in the woods for most of my adult life. I loved it, but during that time, everything felt unsettled — like three a.m. insomnia turned into sound.”
The album reflects that disquiet, mixing analog production with murky, atmospheric textures. “I wanted to make something familiar but still surprising and new,” he says.
Highlights include:
- “Lilys”: A storm of guitars and percussion about holding on too tightly. “It’s about incompatible ideas somehow making a relationship work.”
- “Dream of You in Black”: A synthy love song with Robert Smith vibes. “It’s about overthinking and how your mind creates fictions when you’re waiting for someone.”
- “Float Alone”: A fuzzy homage to Dinosaur Jr. that Peck calls “a self-fulfilling prophecy of a song.”
- “Sleepless”: A lush blend of My Bloody Valentine and Brian Wilson. “It’s straightforward: I was quietly losing it.”
- “Nightlife”: The hardest-edged track, written after the 2020 Canadian mass shooting that hit close to home. “This is my ‘fuck you’ to our need to make sense of horror.”
- “Nausicaa”: A twilight meditation on loneliness, love, and identity featuring Alex Gehring of Ringo Deathstarr.
The album closes with Total Bummer, tying the record’s themes together with the poignant line: “Meet me in the dark.”
Their upcoming album ‘Better Wonder’ arrives Feb. 14th on Darla Records.
Tour Dates
03.04–09 – LOWER EAST SIDE, NY @ THE NEW COLOSSUS FESTIVAL
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