Mike Patton has never been one to sit still. The Faith No More and Mr. Bungle frontman has pushed boundaries across metal, avant-garde, pop, lounge, and everything in between. Now, Patton is steering into fresh territory with a collaboration few would have predicted: a full-length album with North Carolina folk-rockers The Avett Brothers.
The project, dubbed AVTT/PTTN, will deliver its self-titled debut on 14 November 2025 through Thirty Tigers, Ramseur Records, and Patton’s own Ipecac Recordings. Leading the charge is the gentle, folk-driven first single ‘Eternal Love’, is out now.
The pairing may appear unlikely on paper, but it has been brewing for years. The Avetts, Scott and Seth, grew up absorbing Patton’s work. “Mike’s part of our DNA, like the fabric of our youth,” Scott Avett said. “We studied him. He’s a dear friend now, but when we were younger, I was imitating him.”
That reverence turned into a friendship, and eventually into a creative exchange. Song sketches from Scott were reshaped by Patton, and then refined with Seth’s input. What started as a simple idea evolved into a nine-song album blending Patton’s restless experimentation with The Avett Brothers’ heart-on-sleeve Americana.
Patton himself describes the dynamic in typically surreal terms: “My peculiar challenge in this was to become a long-distant cousin. A brother that was orphaned. Maybe they kept him in the chicken coop or some shit. They brought him out years and years later… This is what art is. This is what making is supposed to be: in secret and with no ambition.”
‘Eternal Love’ sets the tone for the record, weaving together stripped-back folk strumming, hushed harmonies, and lyrics contemplating life, love, and mortality. It’s a far cry from Faith No More’s jagged riffs or Mr. Bungle’s chaotic experiments, yet still distinctly Patton in its willingness to bend emotion and mood.
The full album promises three-part harmonies, exploratory arrangements, and even a “scuzzy” take on the traditional folk piece ‘The Ox Driver’s Song’. Co-production comes from Patton, the Avetts, and Grammy-winning engineer Dana Nielsen (Metallica, Rihanna), ensuring the record bridges both sides of the collaboration with equal weight.
Tracklist for AVTT/PTTN:
Dark Night of My Soul
To Be Known
Heaven’s Breath
Too Awesome
Disappearing
Eternal Love
The Ox Driver’s Song
The Things I Do
Received
The Players Behind the Project
For Patton, AVTT/PTTN is the latest in a sprawling catalogue that has seen him front bands as diverse as Fantômas, Tomahawk, Peeping Tom, and Dead Cross. His collaborations range from avant-garde composer John Zorn to Italian pop singers, yet this may be one of his most unexpected pairings yet.
The Avett Brothers, meanwhile, are a Grammy-nominated force in Americana. Since their breakthrough I and Love and You (2009), they’ve become festival staples with their mix of folk, bluegrass, rock, and country. Their collaboration with Patton not only bridges genres but also decades of influence.
AVTT/PTTN will arrive on 14 November via Thirty Tigers, Ramseur Records, and Ipecac Recordings. Pre-orders are open now, and fans can stream ‘Eternal Love’ across platforms.
Scott Avett perhaps sums it up best: “This is what art is. This is what making is supposed to be: in secret and with no ambition.”
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