K. Van Petten plays guitar while at the Sou Wester Artist Residency in March 2026. (Photo: Jessica Keaveny)
By Andrew Barrett
This marks the third installment of Converge Music’s six-week series spotlighting the Seattle Music Commission’s newly appointed commissioners making waves in the Emerald City’s music scene.
For K. Van Petten, getting to work with the “renaissance” occurring in Seattle’s music scene has been nothing short of incredible.
Without Grey’s Anatomy, it may have never happened.
Petten, the Sonic Guild marketing director, is one of the city’s new music commissioners elected to the Seattle Music Commission, a council of trailblazers working together to actualize Seattle’s potential as a haven for musicians and community.
Born and raised on the outskirts of Chicago, Petten grew up with a musician father that helped instill a passion for the arts.
“I probably started writing songs when I was just a few years old. Some of my earliest memories are writing songs. As a family, we always had silly little songs we were singing,” Petten said.
Their love of composing music blossomed in high school, where they started writing full-length musicals. Borrowing the theater space at their high school, Petten put on summer performances, with all proceeds going to cancer resource centers.
It was these musicals that showed Petten a way to change the world with music.
“It just seared into my brain that this is what I want to do forever. I want to put on shows for my community and benefit whoever might be struggling,” they said.
Growing up, Petten’s sights were aimed at eventually living in the Pacific Northwest. Having grown up reading Kurt Cobain’s journals and watching Grey’s Anatomy, they dreamed of eventually making it to Seattle.
Petten attended Illinois Wesleyan University, earning their bachelor’s degree in marketing and theater arts. They proceeded to attend Queen Mary University of London, studying performance art and organizational theory while expanding their performance skills.
“I ended up buying a cheap guitar and I got to play many shows while I was [in London] and do a lot of performance and work in performance art,” they said.
Forming a band with friends back at Illinois Wesleyan forged their path to Western Washington, as several members of Petten’s social circle were Seattlites. The band signed a record deal after Petten graduated from Queen Mary, moving into a house in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and practicing in their basement while performing shows across the region.
“I never thought I would stay in Seattle. I think a piece of me always thought I might move back to Chicago, but I fell in love with it,” they said.
K. Van Petten poses outside Seattle City Hall after a meeting with the Human Services, Labor, and Economic Development Committee on April 17th, 2026. (Photo: Sonny Svay)
Roots began to grow between Petten, their bands and the Seattle music scene. Despite their original band breaking up, Petten found other avenues to balance their marketing career with their art.
“I had this anchor band, but I played in lots of different bands and was writing songs with different collaborators, and just going to a lot of shows, meeting different people, jamming, writing songs, running around the music scene, making friends,” Petten said.
While performing and practicing their art, Petten picked up experience in marketing at several different companies, including the digital media company Cut and Caffe Vita. While the balance was difficult at times, it taught a lesson that helped Petten build more community in Seattle.
“I've certainly become the friend in the band, or the friend in the music community that is good at sending emails and knows how to kind of navigate the business side of being an artist,” Petten said. “So that's been incredibly useful, and it almost feels like having a superpower, and I can help so many other people.”
They also remain true to their artistic roots, performing residencies and shows in the band False Hemlock since 2023. Their art has the intention of blending poetry and music, and “creating from the in-betweens—of music and poetry, folk and alternative, intimacy and expanse, certainty and possibility,” as stated on their website.
Petten has worked in the world of poetry as well, releasing the audio poetry piece For Someone in 2022 to commercial success. Ties to Seattle music brought them onto a variety of music boards across Seattle, volunteering as a member of Freakout, KEXP, and the city’s chapter of The Recording Academy.
According to Petten, their work was noticed by Ben London, the Sonic Guild CEO, who offered them a position with the Seattle chapter of the music-supporting nonprofit built around providing local artist grants up to $10,000 for their musical work.
Petten has held marketing roles with the organization for nearly four years, currently working as the Seattle chapter’s marketing director. In their time, they’ve helped establish grants specifically for touring artists and producers.
“We're always launching new initiatives and new programs, and it's just exciting to be on a team where we are witnessing what's changing in music, and we're able to really quickly react and immediately build infrastructure for a better future for music,” they said.
Petten’s work with the Sonic Guild and consistent presence at the Seattle Music Commission’s meetings helped them earn a nomination from Jessica Toon, the senior executive director of The Recording Academy’s chapter in Seattle and a music commissioner since 2024.
From left to right, Seattle Music Commissioners Marshall Hugh, Seven Sky Spillios, Tina Marie Tyler, and K. Van Petten take a group photo outside of Seattle City Hall on April 17th, 2026. (Photo: Sonny Svay)
Their main project for the Seattle Music Commission is the approval of the musician laureate program, allowing a designated musician to engage in civic conversation and lead the conversation around Seattle music while hosting meetings with the mayor and advocating on behalf of the city’s music scene.
The goal has already seen success, with co-sponsorships from Councilmember Eddie Lin. The proposal also has the chance to be added to the upcoming Seattle city budget, Petten said.
“Seattle's musicians give so much to this city, and a paid Musician Laureate role is one way for the city to invest in that relationship. I hope this pilot can help musicians share their work, connect our communities, and have a stronger voice in the decisions that shape their lives here,” Petten said.
Through bimonthly meetings and monthly sub-committee sessions, the Seattle Music Commission works to elevate different facets of the city’s music scene, whether it’s helping musicians earn more for their work or connecting community to the power of music.
To support the music laureate program in Seattle’s budget, email Council@seattle.gov and ask them to support OED-013-A-1, the $20,000 Musician Laureate pilot
Learn more about the Seattle Music Commission here.
Looking to book a space for your upcoming event? Check out Colman Commons for all your event space needs at colmancommons.com
