
Like a lot of us, Peter Case found himself with lots of time on his hands during the pandemic. A piano in his living room beckoned him and he started to write songs, a throwback to the rhythm & blues, and boogie woogie he heard as a kid. The result is Doctor Moan, 11-songs, stripped down, without drums, mostly led by his pounding piano.
Case was part of the seminal punk band the Nerves in the late 70’s, before forming the Plimsouls, who had an MTV hit with “A Million Miles Away,” and a spot in the 80’s teen classic, Valley Girl. Since the mid-80’s, Case has led an eclectic solo career that’s seen him garner three Grammy nominations and lots of accolades.
All of his past seeps into the pores of this new, sparse offering, available from Sunset Blvd Records.
We chat with Case about how playing the piano during lockdown took him back to his roots as a kid. He also talks about a new documentary about him that should see widespread release soon.