Patrick Martin exudes the irresistible energy of an artist born to be center stage at sold out arenas. It would be easy to assume he had been born that way, spending his youth taking every opportunity to flaunt his talents. On the contrary, he started out refusing to share his music outside the four walls of his bedroom. “Music was precious to me and gave me presence in my anxious mind, so sharing it with anyone seemed to take that away. I felt like the songs that I had written were only for the person who inspired them,” Martin says, laughing.

Times have changed: these days, the Los Angeles-based singer is beyond ready to play his music for everyone. Martin retains that sense of just-you-and-me intimacy in the eight songs on his new Glassnote Records EP, Velvet Time, and pairs it with irresistible hooks and a pulsing alt-pop sensibility that feels built for big moments. Lead single Dandelion Eyes sets the tone, with layers of kaleidoscopic vocals soaring over a mix of synthesizers and guitars, all held together by a propulsive beat that won’t take sitting still for an answer. Recorded with contributors including the producers Nick Lobel (Harry Styles, Leon Bridges) and Tim Pagnotta (Walk the Moon, Neon Trees), Velvet Time is the work of a budding artist who has figured out what he wants to say, and how to say it.

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