"Don’t be fooled by Patresa Hartman’s humble grace and self-effacing charm; this talent is a force to be reckoned with. Both her lyrics and her energy are infused with honesty, poetry, and artistry that are rare finds in today’s musicians."

- Alissa Sheldon, Iowa Music Buzz (May 28, 2013)

Patresa = "Puh-TREE-suh"

 

Des Moines-based singer/songwriter, Patresa Hartman, didn't begin sharing her music with others until an open mic in 2011, attributing the late start to a long-standing bout with stage fright. Now: several years, hundreds of audiences, 2 full-length albums (1 more on the way), and you can find her playing venues across the midwest.

 

Hartman calls her style soul-folk. A rich, blues voice, serves as the vehicle for thoughtful, poetic lyrics. A percussive guitar player, Hartman's signature finger picking style is rhythmic foundation for soulful melodies that hint at contemporary country and folk. But Hartman's roots in gospel and soul become apparent in her turns behind the piano.

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Hartman released her first album, the only way down, in 2014, receiving praise: 

 

“Hartman’s a clever writer, an honest story teller and a beautiful singer. This is an album that begs to be played.” -- Chad Taylor, Cityview Magazine, September 3, 2014

 

Her second album, Queen of Everything, was released in 2016, in conjunction with a music video--a collaboration with the Iowa Ballet Academy and local filmmakers at DEFT. About the album, Joe Lawler from Cityview says:

 

"Hartman is proudly carrying the torch of the Iowa Sound that dates back decades. Artists like Greg Brown, Dave Moore and Bonnie Koloc should be happy to know that Hartman is continuing the roots tradition they established while cutting her own distinctive groove into the Iowa landscape." -- Joe Lawler, Cityview Magazine, January, 2017

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Listeners can expect a third full-length album in 2021.

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