Henry Patterson Talks New Album, London Show And More

Trading the board room for the West End, child CEO Henry Patterson returns to the London stage this summer for a one-night-only concert at PizzaExpress Live Soho on Saturday 4th July, marking the release of his acclaimed debut album Broadway Maybe. 

What is your earliest musical memory? 

I used to be obsessed with The Wiggles. One of my biggest flexes to this day is that I hopped on the Wiggles bandwagon as soon as they came over from Australia. I can still quote most lyrics to Dorothy the Dinosaur.

When did you begin songwriting? 

I’m not a songwriter! And am very jealous of people who can as I think it’s an exceptional talent. During the 2020 US Presidential Election, I did take other people’s songs and rewrite the lyrics based on the news coming from the election which was enormous fun during lockdown. The parodies ended up getting over 20 million views and picked up by the BBC Americast which was hugely unexpected. I did get some strange looks from couriers when I’d open the door to receive a parcel during filming, still dressed as Vice President Mike Pence or Nancy Pelosi. 

You have your new album ‘Broadway Maybe’. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

 One of the moments that really shaped my thinking happened after a concert. A 19-year-old footballer came up to me and started asking questions about Sondheim. If you’d asked me beforehand whether he was the typical Sondheim audience member, I probably would’ve said no. But that interaction showed me something important: often it’s not the material that’s the barrier, it’s the way it’s presented. That became a guiding principle for Broadway Maybe. I wasn’t interested in changing these songs. They’re some of the greatest songs ever written. What interested me was changing the frame around them. By approaching musical theatre through jazz, I hoped to create a way in for people who might never normally listen to a cast recording or book a ticket for a musical.

The album is set in an audition room and draws on my own experiences, but at its heart it’s about something much bigger: putting yourself forward and wondering whether you’ll be enough. That’s something everyone understands, whether it’s an audition, a job interview, a relationship, a breakup, or any moment where you’re taking a chance on yourself.

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

 I was very fortunate to record the album at the iconic Abbey Road Studios. To be recording in such an important venue in music history was something very special. My production company Lando Productions was responsible for the making of the album, with me taking the creative direction across the whole process. My musical director Leigh Stanford Thompson took all of my wild (and often concerning) ideas and turned them into the fabulous arrangements you hear on every track. Other notable mentions must go to our sound engineer John Barrett and co-producers Thomas Nyman and Paul Carter. 

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

 I don’t know if this is funny or tragic, but across the recording sessions at Abbey Road, eating was the last thing on my mind. I love food (much to my personal trainer Alessandro’s despair) and Abbey Road has a wonderful restaurant for artists. Any singer will tell you, when you’re having a particularly good vocal day, you don’t want to eat anything that might mess your voice up. Whilst recording, my voice felt great and I didn’t want to risk eating anything too adventurous, so across the entire first day of recording my diet consisted of one sad, single parsnip. Although credit to the Abbey Road kitchen team because it was a great parsnip. 

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record? 

I left all of the equipment decisions up to the studio team as their knowledge is world-class. I certainly wouldn’t know what I was doing! I had some requests for certain instruments, like a clarinet in I Know Him So Well. We wanted to replicate the sound of Maybe This Time from Cabaret, so Leigh wrote in a stunning clarinet part in that track. 

Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective? 

The tracks on the album tell somewhat of a story and cover a whole range of emotions. In My Life from Les Mis is probably the most joyous. It celebrates the passion and love that so many of us share. There’s nothing particularly angry on the album, but Another Hundred People from Company is a desperate, impatient track. It’s the moment I’m shouting for attention and feeling slightly invisible. The most reflective song is definitely Losing My Mind from Follies. We made sure to keep the arrangement for this stripped back and calm, to really give the lyrics breathing room.

Does the album’s title have a specific meaning/significance?

 It has a few! In its most simple form, it’s a play on the phrase Broadway Baby. But when you strip back a few layers, Broadway Maybe is meant to sound uncertain. It’s self-doubting and unsure. The album is a story of a career that hasn’t happened yet. Broadway? Maybe. 

Was it a difficult selecting which songs to include? Did you have a specific song selection process? 

Nearly impossible. When you have the entire musical theatre songbook to pick from, you’re faced with an overwhelming choice. I love a lot of obscure musical theatre, but ended up going down the route of some of the most overplayed and oversung pieces from Broadway and the West End. There was something exciting about taking a song that everyone knows (and may never need to hear again) and turning it into something totally new. 

Who designed the album artwork? 

My concept for the artwork pays homage to the opening scene of A Chorus Line, a show that really epitomises the audition experience. The first and last tracks on the album are songs from the show so it felt very fitting. In A Chorus Line, the auditionees hold their headshots up whilst stood on the line, but in the case of Broadway Maybe, the auditionee doesn’t quite know who they are yet, so the headshot appears blank. The photography is by the incredible Jack Snell and vinyl design by Jem Solley. 

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

 London. Full of mostly great theatre.

13 – Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2026?

 I do! I have a show at PizzaExpress Live Soho with a big band on Sat 4th July, playing through all the songs from the album. Two episodes of my musical theatre talk show House Seats at the Crazy Coqs with star guests in the autumn, and then two more Broadway Maybe shows at the Crazy Coqs in December.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc? 

Any that make me sound better! 

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

 Would I sound like a cringeworthy 14-year-old if I said The Song of Achilles? It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

 Two artists who are on constant repeat for me at the moment are Caity Gyorgy, a Canadian jazz singer/songwriter and Ann Hampton Callaway, who’s album paying tribute to Peggy Lee is on nearly every day in my house! 

What makes Henry Paterson happy and what makes you unhappy? 

This question will expose me!! Third Space shakes, a good show and maybe a jazz bar that serves an appletini (very 2004) – that makes me happy. Unhappy is a long list: Bad hotels, restaurants that serve a deconstructed anything, loud foods in theatres, Cats (2019).

Feature Image Photo Credit: Jack Snell

Henry Patterson’s latest album ‘Broadway Maybe’ is out now. To support the release, he will be performing a  show on Saturday 4th July 2026 at PizzaExpressLive in Soho, London, United Kingdom. 

Tickets: https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/henry-patterson-sings-broadway

Official Website: https://www.henrypatterson.co.uk/