Peter McPoland presented by Goodlive Artists Austria

Spotting a four-leaf clover along a well-worn path — that’s what it feels like to listen to Big Lucky, the newest and fourth full-length album from the artist Peter McPoland. A record that hums with intimacy, homespun details, and emotional clarity, this latest offering is the project he’s always wanted to make: raw, uncontrived, and singularly him.

Born in Vermont and raised in Texas from the age of seven, McPoland pulls influence from all genres and creeds. Inspired by the art of lyricism, he is quick to note the influential artists that have impacted his songwriting the most — John Prine, The Beatles, and Jack White, to name a few.

By 16, he started fresh off the high of winning a local battle of the bands. His first forays into live music included performances at Vans Warped Tour and New Voices in Rock at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He spent his days writing and playing guitar in front of the amp cabinet his dad built for him. The thrill of music became inseparable from his identity — a kid with a guitar and a recurring dream of being invited on stage to play to a sold-out stadium.

He credits his formative job as a Domino’s pizza delivery driver, just prior to releasing his breakout single, with giving him hours upon hours to immerse himself in music — solidifying his passion along the way. After graduating high school, he moved to New York City to begin his musical career in earnest.

Following a viral run that began with breakout single Romeo + Juliet, album releases Slow Down, Piggy, and Friend, and numerous singles and EPs, Peter McPoland has opted for a stripped-down, foundational reorientation with Big Lucky. With over 450 million streams on Spotify alone, Peter has touched scores of fans worldwide. The sheer scale of his reach has led to several headlining national tours of his own as well as arena outings supporting the likes of Twenty One Pilots and Imagine Dragons.

Peter frequently finds himself carrying out such energetic performances that he has — on many occasions — injured himself on stage and carried on with the show. Some may even remember the appearance of a bedazzled foot cast onstage. In another show of authenticity and loyalty, Peter will be accompanied on his upcoming tour with his childhood best friends and fellow musicians now serving as his band.

Recently cutting himself off cold turkey from social media and streaming services and arming himself with a flip phone, an iPod full of Beatles songs, an old-school reel-to-reel machine he resurrected from his uncle’s basement, and tapes bought from Facebook Marketplace, McPoland regrouped to begin the process of creating Big Lucky, the full-length album to be released this fall.

“This is the album I wanted to make when I was 17. It’s very me,” he says.

That sense of self reverberates through every inch of Big Lucky, named after a small token that’s followed him from studio to studio: a four-leaf clover, carried since his teenage years.

“It brings me back to the roots of everything,” he says.

But who is Peter McPoland? Listening to his music, you get the feeling that he has a defined sense of self and personal awareness often seen in those more experienced. McPoland blossoms with a distinct voice and musical confidence. These songs often feel like they appeared fully formed — even though his most recent project was written, produced, engineered, and performed entirely by McPoland himself.

His discography is a mixture of unfeigned emotional serenades and confident thundering tracks — a skill that he has showcased over the first four years of his career — finding balance between the sincere and the irreverent.

At times you’ll find yourself instinctively stomping your feet to the more uproarious songs or pausing mid-task to experience and enjoy. The lyrics and melodies marry so well together that it’s difficult to imagine each song being written any other way, with any other intonation or sound.

“That specific guitar begged to be recorded for this specific harmonica and they can’t be parted.”

His work gives hope that not all artists will stumble into the trap of endless single campaigns, but that there are still musicians writing for the project. In a world of TikTok sensations, McPoland stands apart — bucking the industry standard of the one-hit-wonder, single-charting poster child — and carving out something far more lasting.

There’s promise in the fact that Peter is still in the early stages of his career, yet he seems to be amongst a burgeoning group of young writers willing to dig deep into the process and not fall victim to what feels like an endless industry machine. His blend of folk, indie-rock, and what at times feel like hymns, melds into an impressive repertoire.

Historically, Peter has been no stranger to an ear-catching hit, but you will be further lured in by Peter’s more retrospective work. Touching on larger themes of life after death, a sudden rise to recognition, love, fear, nuanced heartbreak, childhood, and a varied array of the human experience, Peter has a knack for honing in on and exploring a moment, a feeling, and unraveling it all the way to the end.

Perhaps not to answer the questions that he poses, but to simply experience them without the pressure of a resolution. Sometimes even feeling like folk tales or parables — maybe an echo of his religious upbringing — the existential never detracts from the fun that also remains.

Crafted with equal measures of intention and playfulness, this latest record is steeped in DIY spirit. McPoland, always fascinated by gear and analog imperfections, recorded it alone in his room with his instruments and a handheld drill — plugging in and pulling out wires until something as beautiful as Big Lucky could be born.

Playtime. That’s what Peter McPoland equates his process to: a kid with their toys and imagination.

“I had fun and I played. It was the most fun I’ve had in a really long time. This album is just me having fun,” he says of the process.

Big Lucky is Peter McPoland getting back to himself and the pure writing that began his career, captivating millions — inviting listeners into the room with him.

“It’s what I was when people started paying attention to me. It’s back to me.”