Petey, born Peter Martin, works as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer whose introspective and transformative lyrics sit inside an energetic blend of indie rock, emo, punk, and electro-pop. He launched a widely followed run of absurdist alt-comedy sketches on his social media accounts in 2020, then put out his first full-length release, Lean into Life, the following year and the album USA two years after that.
Martin grew up between suburban Detroit and Chicago before relocating to Los Angeles in 2014 once he finished college in New Orleans. Drawing from influences such as Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse, he signed with Terrible Records in 2019 and issued the EPs Checkin' Up on Buds, High Life from the Bottle on the Beach, and Car Practice. With touring halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he redirected his efforts into the same comedy videos, which eventually drew nearly a million followers. Petey’s debut album, the ebullient and life-affirming Lean into Life, arrived in 2021 and featured the singles “We Go on Walks,” “Don’t Tell the Boys,” and its propulsive title track.
Two standalone singles, “Big Bad!” and the Phony collaboration “Kaleidoscope,” surfaced in 2022, after which he started previewing the next project. In the first half of 2023 he shared tracks including the energetic “I’ll Wait” and the slow-burning “Did I Mention I’m Sorry” ahead of USA.
