Petey
Birth namePeter Martin
Born11/17/1991
Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • Songwriter
  • Social media personality
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • Guitar
  • Drums
LabelsTerrible
Formerly of
TikTok information
Page
Followers1.5 million
Likes33.5 million

Last updated: 19 October 2023

Peter Martin, known professionally as Petey, is an American musician and social media personality who rose to prominence on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has 1.5 million followers on the social media platform,[1] and has released three studio albums.

Early life

Martin was born in Royal Oak, MI on November 17th 1991, and raised in Winnetka, IL where he attended Crow Island Elementary School and graduated from New Trier High School. He played with emo band Young Jesus and graduated from Loyola University before moving to California in 2013, where for a time he lived in a hand-made tent in a friend's backyard.[2][3]

Musical career

While attending Loyola University in New Orleans, Martin released music under "90 Pounds of Pete" with fellow Music Industry junior, Adam Stewart. [4] They released a handful of singles as well as two EPs, "Promiseland" in 2012 (locally) and "Perfect High Five" in 2016. [5] Notably, a single with vocals from Devon Baldwin was released prior to "Perfect High Five" attracting more attention to Martin's work.

Petey was signed to Terrible in 2020,[2] and has released two albums and several standalone singles with the label.[6] In 2022, he embarked on a US tour, including playing festivals such as Lollapalooza and Outside Lands.[7] In March 2022, he released a short film called Lean Into Life, based on his 2021 album of the same name, directed by Director Crane.[8]

Comedy

Martin's TikToks, created together with his friend and manager Will Crane (known sometimes as Director Crane), have been described as "wholesome" and "absurd",[3] and feature him playing multiple characters, using many quick cuts to stitch the skits together.[9] Martin began making sketches on TikTok when his nascent career in music was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic[3] and has parlayed his popularity on the platform into sponsorship deals and collaborations with other figures like Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst and Grateful Dead member Bob Weir.[2]

In an interview with Jeremy Bolm for Bolm's podcast The First Ever Podcast, Martin revealed that his approach to writing and creating comedy was largely inspired by actors Dana Carvey and Fred Armisen, as well as shows such as Flight of the Conchords, Saturday Night Live, Reno 911 and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.[10]

Discography

Studio albums
Compilation albums
Singles (as lead artist)
Singles (as featured artist)

References

  1. ^ Christopher, Michael (November 2, 2022). "Concert previews of Sophie B. Hawkins, Petey, Silver Sun Pickups, more [Seven in Seven]". The Reading Eagle. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Cosores, Philip (June 23, 2021). "The World According To Petey". Uproxx. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Sanneh, Kelefa (November 15, 2021). "Petey's Earnest Songs and Absurd TikToks". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  4. ^ https://loyolamaroon.com/103239/lifestyle/meet-90-pounds-of-pete/
  5. ^ https://soundcloud.com/petercmartin
  6. ^ Robles, Jonathan (July 20, 2021). "Petey shares his rowdy, addictive new single 'Big Bad!'". Variance. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  7. ^ The Standard Staff (August 2, 2022). "TikToks of Outside Lands: 6 Interesting Artist Accounts to Follow Ahead of the Festival". The San Francisco Standard. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Okon, Wongo (March 3, 2022). "Petey Debuts His 'Lean Into Life' Film Which He Calls An 'Original Drama' Based On His 2021 Album". Uproxx. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  9. ^ Cognata, Sabrina (June 3, 2021). "Mandatory TikTok: @PeteyUSA Is the Must-Follow TikToker of the Week". Variance. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  10. ^ "The First Ever Podcast 165: Petey: Along For the Ride". Libsyn. Retrieved November 6, 2023.