Published April 2nd, 2026
BY JOHANNA MELTON
The Sibleys met in high school choir and have been writing music together ever since, releasing their first album in 2004. courtesy of ANNE SIBLEY
Carmel-based acoustic singers Anne and Pete Sibley have been sharing their music with the world for the last 35 years, and after seven albums and thousands of live shows, the married couple is getting ready to release an eighth album, titled “Big Dreams,” this spring.
Beloved artists in the Carmel community, Anne and Pete have blended their talents together to create a soulful sound that deeply connects with their audience. From Anne’s beautifully rich voice to Pete’s instrumental talent on guitar, piano and banjo, the couple creates a fun-filled and intimate atmosphere during their live shows.
Despite having not produced an album in 10 years, Anne is currently working on an independent project and recording it at PG Soundworks in Pacific Grove. The new album is a solo project under Anne’s name, but Pete contributes to the album along with their other musician friends, Julie Capili and Beth Ann Vatuone.
“Anne, Julie and I have gotten together a lot to sing and write over the last five years,” says Vatuone. “It was a very natural thing for us to play on Anne’s album.”
“Big Dreams” is named after a song written by Anne that she has been playing live regularly for the past few years.
“People have been so into it that they’ve started to sing along at shows,” says Anne. “It just seems obvious to me that it should be the title track.”
The album is expected to be released this spring and will be available on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
When Anne creates new music, she writes both the lyrics and the instrumental at the same time on the piano or guitar. She has the ability to turn off her inner editor when she writes, allowing herself to come up with lyrics free of self-criticism.
Anne and Pete Sibley mainly write folk, bluegrass and country music, inspired by their time living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. courtesy of ANNE SIBLEY
Anne and Pete both grew up on the East Coast and came from music-loving families that raised them on showtunes, musical scores and classical artists. Pete wrote songs on the piano and Anne, after meeting Pete in high school choir, learned guitar from him and began songwriting.
They later moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where they were introduced to bluegrass, folk and country music, falling in love with the genres that have grown to influence their own art. The couple began performing regularly at open mics and festivals and soon discovered that fans wanted them to perform all over the United States. So the Sibleys decided to take their lives on the road and go on tour, landing them in Carmel where they’ve remained for more than a decade since.
“In life, we have times where we can make choices, and we know that the choice we’re about to make is a big one,” says Pete. “We chose the adventure and it brought us here.”
Through their music, the Sibleys bring themselves closer to the community that they’ve fallen in love with. They continue to play and plan their own gigs wherever brings them the most joy, with Anne holding music lessons and workshops, Pete playing in his own band, Billie Irish, and the duo volunteering to share their music at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
“Anne’s voice and songwriting is insane, and Pete’s musicality and ability to harmonize with anyone, anytime, is off the charts,” says Justin Noseworthy, a local musician who frequently collaborates with the Sibleys. “It’s this beautiful combination of excellence with love and beauty.”
Their upcoming album lends a peek into the most recent chapters of their life, as the Sibleys have settled down, raised their children and continued to pour themselves into their art. Through their music, the singer-songwriter duo has greatly inspired and left a lasting mark on Carmel.
