AK Patterson is a London-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music blends gritty honesty with haunting beauty. Known for her unflinching exploration of dark and complex themes, Patterson crafts songs that find hope in the bleakest corners of human experience.
Described by fans as “Buckley with boobs” (in reference to Jeff Buckley), she prefers to label her style as modern chamber pop fused with the melancholic spirit of 90s Lilith Fair. At the heart of her performances lies her compelling storytelling and a powerful vocal delivery—a skill she honed during her youth, playing violin and guitar in the back of an Irish pub.
Her distinctive sound is further defined by an unconventional approach to songwriting and her mastery of unusual guitar tunings. In 2023, her artistry caught the attention of actor and musician Johnny Flynn, who named her performance at the Brunel Museum a cultural highlight in The Guardian. BBC Radio’s Guy Garvey also praised her track My Body is a Spacesuit as “the best new music he’d heard.”
2025 marks a defining chapter in Patterson’s career with the release of her third EP—an evocative collection of songs delving into the shadowy undercurrents of London life. Inspired by her time working in a men’s prison, as well as personal experiences of heartbreak and isolation, the record reflects her unwavering commitment to transforming adversity into art.
The lead single, I Don’t Know How to Die, praised by Bastille frontman Dan Smith as “hauntingly beautiful,” signals Patterson’s triumphant return following an eight-month battle with a throat condition that left her temporarily voiceless. The track’s emotionally charged vocal performance evokes comparisons to Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek and Caroline Polachek’s Insomnia, and is accompanied by a striking music video shot in New Zealand, featuring stark black sand dunes and stormy seas.
Her second single, Morticia, has also drawn critical acclaim, receiving support from John Kennedy on Radio X. With momentum building and a voice more powerful than ever, AK Patterson is poised for a breakthrough year.