"This is what art is": Mike Patton returns to action with new project AVTT/PTTN with folk rock stars the Avett Brothers

Mike Patton and the Avett Brothers seated at a kitchen table
(Image credit: Crackerfarm)

Faith No More and Mr Bungle frontman Mike Patton has returned to the studio to record an album as AVTT/PTTN with folk-rock stars The Avett Brothers.

The band's debut, self-titled album will be released on November 14 via Thirty Tigers, Ramseur Records and Ipecac Recordings, and is preceded by a debut single, Eternal Love, a country ballad that's alternately gruff and sweet, and features a keyboard solo that sounds like it was beamed in from outer space. It's out now.

"This is what art is," says Scott Avett. "This is what making is supposed to be: in secret and with no ambition. Mike’s part of our DNA, like the fabric of our youth. Literally, we studied him. He’s a dear friend now, but when we were younger, I was imitating him.” Patton adds,

“My peculiar challenge in this was to become a long-distant cousin," adds Patton. "A brother that was orphaned. Maybe they kept him in the chicken coop or some shit. They brought him out years and years later."

AVTT/PTTN was recorded remotely, before Patton and the Avett Brothers had met in real life. It was produced by Patton, Scott Avett and Dana Nielsen, a frequent collaborator with Rick Rubin who has worked on several Avett Brothers projects in addition to recordings by Metallica, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, System Of A Down, Rihanna and others.

AVVT/PTTN is available to pre-order now. Full tracklist below.

Eternal Love - YouTube Eternal Love - YouTube
Watch On

AVTT/PTTN Tracklist

1. Dark Night of My Soul
2. To Be Known
3. Heaven’s Breath
4. Too Awesome
5. Disappearing
6. Eternal Love
7. The Ox Driver's Song
8. The Things I Do
9. Received

Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.

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