Patek is a native Texan, having spent her childhood in the towns of Shiner and Rockport. Music is as much a part of her as the Lone Star State is, as artistic talent runs in her family. Patek lists her grandfather, Joe Patek, as one of her biggest musical influences. Back in his heyday, Joe was the leader of Joe Patek’s Orchestra, and is known as a pioneer of Texas Czech polka music. 

Now, Patek is pioneering her own sound, taking inspiration from artists from a wide variety of genres — the singer-songwriter names Janis Joplin, Beth Hart, and The Allman Brothers Band as musical influences. Song In My Head is illustrative of this, as the project has a little something to suit everyone’s taste. The Americana album is a genre-defying trip filled with everything from soul to southern rock to country to blues. 

Song In My Head follows Patek’s acclaimed 2018 debut EP Fly Bird. The project’s unique sound garnered positive reviews and landed Patek the title of Texas Regional Radio’s New Female Vocalist of the Year. Since then, she’s released a string of singles, and began playing live band shows in 2022, performing at various festivals throughout the United States. 

But with Song In My Head, Patek is finally stepping into the spotlight. She’s said before that she loves “music that makes you feel deep things,” a quote that perfectly sums up the album’s listening experience. Over memorable hooks and country guitar licks oozing with Southern charm, Patek channels the raw vocal power of Sheryl Crow and the quick-witted lyricism of Shania Twain. Songs like “Voodoo Child,” the album standout, with its groovy, haunting bassline, and “Passing Through,” an ode to female independence, demonstrate Patek’s gift as a compelling storyteller. But she doesn’t shy away from difficult issues, either. Whether she’s tackling substance use on “Beautiful Liar,” commentating on the experience of United States military veterans on “Just to Survive,” or reflecting on her own shortcomings on “Ruin A Good Thing,” Patek’s songwriting shows both her emotional depth and her refreshing capacity for honesty. 

Song In My Head, with its disarming, heartfelt swagger, demonstrates why Patek is so endlessly endearing. The album is nothing if not sincere, from start to finish. It’s a sparkling, triumphant debut, one that solidifies Patek as one of the next big voices in country.