Petey - “Don’t Tell the Boys”
SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6
Pairs Well With… Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Slaughter Beach
It took a while to figure out why this artist is so fascinating to me. At a categorical level, Petey (Peter Martin) plays sad indie pop with elements of emo, rock, electronic, and folk music. His lyrics tackle anxiety, existential issues, social criticism with a healthy dose of 90s nostalgia. But he balances these dark themes with humor, clever lyrics, nice builds, and catchy choruses, further leavened with layers of organic and synth percussions and rock guitar with 90s pop influences. Beyond the merit of the music, however, there is something endearingly off-kilter yet emotionally resonant about Petey. Martin’s explanation is decidedly Petey-esque: “I think that I’m really strange and a lot of people close to me tell me that I’m really strange. And I think that the music that I make is strange. Strange and not strange. And even the not strange, sometimes it’s strange how not strange it is.”
Martin’s story provides some insight into his unique but universal authenticity. He admits he was quite directionless and unmotivated when he moved to California in his early 20s (largely because of his love for the TV show “the O.C.”). He found work in a talent agency mail room, and for a time, lived in a tent to save money. Martin says, "all the songs [are] the product of me sitting down and having the time and space . . . to think critically about myself, how I interact with the world and observe my surroundings." Many of his songs take an unflinching look at his path in life that evokes compassion for Petey while being relatable to our own past struggles. Of the slew of good Petey songs, a few standouts include, “Don’t Tell the Boys” (heartwarming ode to male friendship); “California” (breakup song noting that his heart is “as cold as New Year’s NYC”); “Lean into Life” (wondering “why we can’t reach our potential, I am regretful,” but optimistically looking to “lean into life."). Also not be overlooked is his melancholy duet with Miya Folick on “Haircut” (“remember that summer when I shaved my head, just to prove that I had control over something?”). Petey also has built a separate career as a TikTok comedian with 1.3 million followers. His deadpan vignettes garnered a feature in The New Yorker. Yet, despite recent successes, Martin admits that live audiences still make him nervous. So, let’s plan to put Petey at ease in Austin. Head to the front row at his set with your arms around your bestie, and sing along, “Don't tell the boys we've got each other, And I'll love you 'till the end, don’t tell the boys.” (David Zlotnick)