Who Is Akiko Matsuura? The Truth about Charlie Heaton’s Ex-girlfriend and Mother of His Son

Being a single mother is demanding, and The Big Pink drummer Akiko Matsuura knows it firsthand. She raises Archie alone, the son of “Stranger Things” star Charlie Heaton.

Japanese musician Akiko Matsuura had a lonely childhood, but she fell in love with music early and dreamed of becoming a famous drummer.

She met Charlie Heaton through music, but their relationship didn’t work out. She is now raising their son, Archie, in London, miles away from her family in Japan and Heaton in America. Here’s everything you need to know about Heaton’s ex-girlfriend.

Akiko Matsuura on August 6, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois | Source: Getty Images

WHO IS AKIKO MATSUURA?

Born on November 2, 1980, Matsuura is a Japanese drummer, guitar player, and singer with vast experience in music. She grew up in Osaka, where her parents ran a restaurant.

They were so busy and worked so hard that Matsuura could not develop a loving bond with them growing up. Although she lived with her brother, who was seven years older, she was home alone most of the time because he would often leave the house to be with his friends.

Akiko Matsuura in London on April 20, 2006 | Source: Getty Images

AKIKO MATSUURA’S MUSIC CAREER

Matsuura’s life changed when she was six years old and watched a Japanese TV series about a female drummer in a boys’ rock band. The show made her want to be a drummer, but she was too young to learn it.

Instead, she began playing the piano at six and only started getting lessons as a drummer at ten. Matsuura helped her parents run their restaurant when she turned 12. At 16, she could already prepare anything off the menu.

She discovered American and British rock music as a teenager, and her dreams of being a drummer never faded, so she studied art. Her parents knew she was passionate about music and let her attend a university in England when she was 18.

Akiko Matsuura eventually fulfilled her rocker dreams, and at one point, she was part of multiple bands, including Comanechi, PRE, Sperm Javelin, and The Big Pink.

In 2009, she played the drums for The Big Pink at a festival in Osaka, and her parents were so proud that they cried. Their relationship got complicated shortly after, though.

Matsuura and Heaton welcomed their son, Archie, in 2014.

Matsuura took her bandmates to a bar where a professional S&M bondage artist performed. She asked them to tie her and her bandmates up and posted photos on her blog. Her mom saw them and was disappointed. “I’m so dishonored,” said Matsuura’s mom.

Speaking of The Big Pink, they made headlines in April 2022 after releasing “No Angels,” their first song in ten years. Their most recent album, “Future This,” was released in 2012.

AKIKO MATSUURA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHARLIE HEATON

Matsuura’s music career has been outstanding, but she is also famous for her relationship with “Stranger Things” star Charlie Heaton.

The former couple worked together in the noise rock band Comanechi in 2013 – he played the drums, and she was the main singer and guitarist. They lived “five minutes away” from each other and fell in love despite their 14-year age gap.

Matsuura and Heaton welcomed their son, Archie, in 2014, when Heaton was only 20. It is unclear when and why Matsuura and Heaton parted ways, but he left Comanechi around 2015.

It is essential to point out that Heaton, who landed his first acting gig in an ad for a Swiss insurance company in 2014, began his acting career to make more money than he did from his music.

Heaton is currently dating his “Stranger Things” co-star, Natalia Dyer, and he splits his time between America and London, where Matsuura and Archie live.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT AKIKO MATSUURA AND CHARLIE HEATON’S SON?

Matsuura and Heaton might be celebrities, but they prefer to keep the details of their kid away from the spotlight. In June 2022, Matsuura tweeted that Archie taught her true love was unconditional and everlasting.

The single mother once admitted that her relationship with her parents growing up influenced how she treats her son. She works hard to build a strong bond with Archie, adding:

“When he goes through some hard times in his life, I want to be there for him. I want him to feel comfortable talking to me about anything openly at any stage of his age.”

Akiko Matsuura, also known as Keeks, confessed that she was unprepared to become a mom when Archie was born. All she cared about as a teen and young adult was her career.

Apart from that, she was not financially stable. During the first months of her pregnancy, Matsuura lived close to a railway track in a shipping container she turned into a studio.

Seven months into her pregnancy, she moved to an emergency bedsit hostel. It was her home for over a year as they only left the hostel when Archie was 11 months old.

The musician explained that it felt like prison because she could not have visitors. She and Heaton parted ways around that time, so it was the “lowest point” of her life.

When the pandemic hit, Heaton could not go to London to visit Archie for “over a year.” Matsuura said that although Heaton was “not around,” they have kept an amicable relationship.

The “Stranger Things” star and Matsuura have the same views regarding parenting, and he appreciates how she has raised Archie. Still, not having Heaton around for so long during the pandemic emphasized the difficulties of being a single parent.

WHAT IS AKIKO MATSUURA DOING NOWADAYS?

Besides raising Archie, Matsuura is focused on her music career with The Big Pink. She began rehearsing with the band during Archie’s school hours, and the fact that they released “No Angels” in April 2022 proves that things worked out.

Akiko Matsuura is not only playing drums but also designing the band’s merchandise and artwork. She hopes to see her son grow up and find her soul mate. Way to go!

Anomama