Petey is featured in our Summer 2023 issue, which you can buy here.
Who doesn’t want to feel down in California? For Petey, the decision came as a matter of course. For as long as he can remember, the Detroit-born, Chicago-raised emo-pop singer and TikTok star has known his life should be in the West.
“I grew up obsessed with living in California,” he said. “I’m a nature lover and I want to be geographically close to water and other cool environments.”
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The 31-year-old singer-turned-Peter Martin, who has lived in his hometown for nearly a decade and is the catalyst for his dual career in music and TikTok, couldn’t be more right.
Currently with 500,000 followers on Instagram and 1.5 million on TikTok, Petey cracked the algorithmic code by creating his own world of cathartic abstract art, guided by confidence, luck, and most importantly, good vibes. In doing so—through his music and outrageous comedy videos—he connects with other queer people, finding a place to fit in while finding solace in their uniqueness.
Before Pitty was creating the dream pop-influenced mood music he is now, he started his career as a drummer. Throughout high school and college, he joined many local bands and served as a session musician. He sees pop-punk as a central influence on his music, as it provided the foundation for him to learn to play drums.Specifically, he tries to imitate Travis Barker’s style by memorizing the rhythm of Blink-182 country enema.
But even so, he worried about the sustainability of his music business, which kept him from committing to it for years. “I was broke and had been trying to keep myself above water for so many years that I really felt powerless to figure it out. I didn’t know how to figure it out,” he said.
After following his instincts and moving to Los Angeles at 18, he found himself a bit lost and ended up building a quirky, viral resume. At the time, he lived in a homemade tent in a friend’s yard and worked stints in a gourmet dog food kitchen, a sock printing press and the mailroom of a talent agency. While he considered this period a necessary life experience, it began to feel less sustainable than pursuing music.
A “accidental” day in 2018 brought his dream of pursuing music back on track. After helping a friend record at the San Fernando Valley studio Tropico Beauty, he booked a studio for himself and ended up writing two of his most popular songs as Petey, “California” and “Apple TV Remote,” in Production assistance from studio engineer Phil Hartunian.
He did not consider releasing them until several months later. Around Christmas, he drove home after partying at a dive bar in suburban Chicago and shared the tracks with his good friend Will Crane. Two weeks later, Cline (who would eventually become his manager) suggested that they come up with a plan to get the songs in front of more people.
Petey dropped singles in 2019, introducing the world to his emo and electro-indie pop, heavily influenced by bands that composed music from his high school years and formative years, like Blink 182, New Found Glory , Modest Mouse, and the adorable Death Taxi. The unique blend of indie-driven guitar melodies, raucous pop-punk drums, and synths with a new wave tinge create an often upbeat backdrop for the lyric, projecting a heavier tone of depression, heartbreak, and toxic masculinity. theme.
A decisive DM with beloved indie label Terrible Records led to a record deal and EP release car practice 2019, and his debut album in 2021, integrate into lifeand the following items other things. “Over the last three years, I’ve become more comfortable with everything. I feel like it’s all a testament to the fact that I’m working with the right people and absolutely doing things at my own pace, while feeling like I have a huge stake in everything. autonomy,” he said. “It’s been a pretty smooth, gradual upward path.”
Though he insists he’s “not a very internet guy,” it was his manager’s persistent advice that changed his lazy approach to social media and gave TikTok a chance. His first attempt at making TikTok was “like throwing spaghetti over the wall,” using a friend’s unused script to create a short film for a minute-long film festival. Despite this, the video surprisingly quickly racked up 2 million views.
What started out just to make himself laugh, has now amassed 1.5 million followers who religiously follow his wacky, nonsensical videos that act like crazy freestyle conversations between a few unique characters, all of whom All played by him. “I love doing TikTok. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever done,” he said.
He explained that his take on TikTok is somewhat different from his songwriting, “one serious and one dumb.” He also doesn’t plan to integrate them. “They’re perfectly balanced with each other and I’m rarely overwhelmed. I’ll take a break from one of them. I don’t do much video when I’m on the road. I’ve never really worried about losing anyone. When I get back, Post a video and pick up where we left off,” he said.
[Photo by Will Crane]
Essentially, TikTok allows him to post skits that reflect his surreal readings of external circumstances, while his music remains an outlet for his deeper, introspective processing of his own lived experiences. They may vary, but a glance at his comments section reveals how organically his audience spans from one platform to the next – his world of music and comedy provides numbers for maverick thinkers Rest stops are welcomed, seen and praised.
Now, Pitty is getting ready to share his latest work with viewers, his upcoming album, U.S. (Published September 22 via Capitol Records). “I think it’s really good [new album] It all started when I was the most mature, because getting older really gave me confidence in how to trust my instincts,” he said. For me at least, everything is going fine. ”
While previous work leaned toward darker tones of lived experience, Pitty’s latest delves into brighter thematic tones. Much of that change, he says, came from the energy he felt during two sold-out headline tours. The experience of having fans sing him every song is like immersive therapy, freeing him from stage fright and allowing him to enjoy an enjoyable sharing experience with his fan base. “I have total control over the vibe of the next album, so all the songs are going to be fun. It’s definitely the sound dynamic. I think I made it, and I’m really excited.”
He also found it unnecessary to delve into the changes that have occurred from his first record to the present. “I loved the first record. It was crazy and sloppy. That was good! I’m glad I got an album like this out, but I’m glad this one is different.” Still, he assured, That shouldn’t deter longtime fans. “If you were a fan of my last record, I think you’ll really like it.”
In the meantime, he plans to continue enjoying the California sunshine, working on his mental health and focusing on his fans. “I want them to know that I try really hard to do good work with this incredibly unique and cool opportunity. It brings me a lot of joy and peace.” You can also count on his wacky humor and catharsis Pop music brings you a sense of joy and calm.
