Q: Your music is very unique with the way you fuse different genres. Who are your biggest influences?
Martin: I would say I am very rounded when it comes to music. Most of my days start with anything from Frank Sinatra to Cradle of filth and even country music to 20’s swing. I like it all, whatever mood i’m in tends to steer my music selection for the day, as my music suggests. my mind is kind of all over the place.
Q: The guitar instrumental gives a nostalgic and emotional feel to the song. What was your creative process in making “Keep In Mind?”
Martin: Well that song kind of started when Australia went into lock down. I know a lot of people got support from their governments and their friends and family but I was in a whole other situation as I had just moved to Australia so neither the Australian government wanted to give me assistance and the US Government pretty much said “awe yea nah mate you’re already over there hey…” so I was stuck stretching every last penny I had to survive, not to mention that my closest friends and family were all in the US while I had maybe one friend here whom I couldn’t see due to covid and my partner was stuck in New Zealand with her mum due to all the restrictions. It left me alone with my dog and my thoughts for too long and the idea that you might not be able to take it much longer started to grow darker in my head so I started to put it onto pen and paper. It’s funny cause now that I’m writing this I realise that I’ve never spoken to anyone about the state of my mental health until I started writing music. Most people think my songs are about me and my love life with my partner but it’s just about the constant battle between me and myself.
Q: What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
Martin: Well that music video is just a bit of a fun little art project I took up on my own while I found someone competent enough to undertake the actual filming of the official video which is currently in it’s development stage, but I’d say that choosing the lighting and just running around the empty building at 3/4 in the morning was a bit of a thrill since I was completely alone. haha
Q: How is the music scene in Sydney?
Martin: To be honest it seems to be really good but I wouldn’t actually know since we’ve been in lockdown and I’ve yet to go to a show! My first show is on the 30th, the same day my song drops! Hopefully I get a good glimpse of what the music scene is like but I plan on hosting a show once a month to give other small artists a stage to shine on along with me.
Q: Do you remember what the first tune or instrument you learned was?
Martin: Yeah… my first instrument was a trumpet lol my mom HATED IT. She begged the school to have me change instruments but at the time the school had a loan program and all of the instruments had already been distributed amongst all of the available students so I had to wait till finally some kid left the school and the Saxophone became available. I never became amazingly great at the sax, I knew the basics of it and could play some basic tunes but it just never had that UMPH to me like the electric guitar did.
Q: What inspires your writing? Do you draw inspiration from poems, music, TV, or other media?
Martin: All of the above except maybe television. I only allow myself an hour of TV time at night with my partner as a way to unwind and spend some quality time with her without our phones in our face or the problems of the world get to us. I used to write poems and draw. I was a tattoo artist for some time so being artistic has always been in me. I never cared to be some big famous artist I just like to express myself through whatever medium I can. I still draw and write poetry but it’s in so many different shapes and forms that you’d think I’d gone mad.
Q: What advice would you have for someone wanting to start making music?
Martin: It’s never too late. If your intentions are exactly that… just to make music then just start. buy something used or if you can afford it something great and expensive but it doesn’t matter what it is just go for it. Use a bucket if it’s all you’ve got but just start pumping out ideas. you’ll never be as good as you hope to be at first but that changes over time and practice.
Q: Do you have any projects in the works?
Martin: Yes I’m always writing new music. I focus on one song a week then I try to spend a weekend finishing each song but sometimes inspiration just hits me and I write a whole new song in a day. I don’t follow any particular rules so long I’m expressing myself and I’m creating music that is all that matters to me. I’ve got a whole album and a half worth of completed music I’ll just be dropping individual songs from about once a month to help gain any traction that might come from it. Till then I’ll just keep doing what I do.
Interviewed by Melissa Cusano
