Esme Patterson has always been resolute about her career path. "I've known my whole life that I'm alive to make music," she says. "That's what I'd be doing in some capacity, somehow."

Patterson is so confident, in fact, she says she has tattooed on her knuckles that she doesn't have "a plan B."

That confidence has paid off; on Monday night, Patterson played a lively show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis. On Tuesday, she and her band — guitarist/keyboardist Philippe Bronchtein, bassist Jeremy Averitt and drummer Cameron Runyan — visited The Current for an in-studio session hosted by Mary Lucia.

"I just want to keep playing music," Patterson tells Lucia. "It's been so wonderful that so far people have listened to it and supported it to the point where we can go on tours and put out records. I want to keep writing songs and playing them for people."

In the course of the interview, Patterson describes living in her tour van, which she's dubbed Winona. "It's difficult living in a van," Patterson says, "but it's very freeing in a lot of ways, too."

Although touring has meant occasionally sleeping on hard floors or eating in gas stations, Patterson says touring for the past 10 years has given her a great way to see the United States. "America is fascinating," she says. "Terrifying and beautiful and fascinating."

Ultimately, it's all in the pursuit of sharing music with people. "I'm not doing this because we make a lot of money doing it, because we don't," Patterson says. "The people that do this and really do it passionately do it because that's what is in their heart to do. That's certainly true for me."

Listen to the complete in-studio session using the audio player above.

Songs Performed

"No River"
"Wantin' Ain't Gettin'"
"Feel Right"
All songs from Esme Patterson's 2016 album, We Were Wild, available on Grand Jury Music.

Hosted by Mary Lucia
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Michael DeMark
Visuals by Nate Ryan
Web feature by Luke Taylor

Gallery

Fullscreen SlidePrevious Slide

10 of 10

1 of 10

2 of 10

Next Slide