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21st century troubadour Joe Martin is deservedly gaining attention on both sides of the Atlantic seeing him play shows around the UK, Europe and legendary venues in Nashville, Tennessee. His musical journey has seen him collaborate with some of Nashville’s top songwriters including Johnny Garcia of Garth Brooks’ band, hit writer Jill Collucci and Aaron Raitiere at RCA studios on Music Row. His sound is deeply rooted in the classic American style, drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences from American folk artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and James Taylor to songwriters such as Townes Van Zandt, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves and the Civil Wars, with storytelling and lyric a main focus of Joe’s songwriting. 

 

After being heavily influenced by the show Nashville when it first aired in 2013, Joe fell in love with country music and the story telling aspect of the genre in particular. In 2017 things came full circle when he got the chance to play at the pre-eminent Bluebird Cafe in Nashville Tennessee. Meeting and taking advice from his song writing idol John Paul White of the Civil Wars a week before his Bluebird debut was also an inspirational moment.

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“The night I was at the Bluebird a young Englishman with a rich, resonant voice named Joe Martin seemed primed for bigger things.”

- Jeremy Egner New York Times. 

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Another of Joe’s musical idols includes producer Dave Cobb, the artists he has produced; Brent Cobb, Jason Isbell, Colter Wall and Chris Stapleton to name a few, have played a major influence in inspiring Joe's own music. So, it was a humbling moment when he was asked to cowrite at RCA studios with one of Cobb’s writers Aaron Raitiere and given a personal tour of RCA’s “Studio A”, where musical legends from the Beach Boys to Dolly Parton to George Strait have made history. 

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In 2017 Joe released his debut EP ‘Small World’ to much acclaim, he then went on to released a suite of singles with the Champs of the much respected UK Americana band ‘Danny and the Champions of the World’. In 2021 Joe released his new EP ‘Bound For Lonesome’ a series of songs written on his 2018 trip to Nashville. He then went on to record and release a live album 'The First Five Years'. In 2023 he launched his debut album Empty Passenger Seat followed by an extensive tour around the UK and Europe. 

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His latest album Alone In Valentine, which features a body of work he has been carefully crafting over the last few years, was recorded over seven days in Nashville Tennessee with Cal Campbell and Cornelius Webb (sons of the much loved Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb). This album was made in a similar way to the classic, golden years of Country/Americana, by bringing the top Nashville session players together in one room and using Joe's rich and layered songs to create moments of magic. The musicians arranged most of the songs on the fly and captured their performances with energy and spontaneity which makes the record feel real and alive. For Joe, working alongside Cal and Cornelius was a dream come true. Their connection to such a rich musical heritage created an album that is a bridge between musical generations. Alone in Valentine hopes to create something new and timeless, while pushing boundaries, yet preserving the very best of classic country music. 

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​"Superb melodies accompanied by a fantastic voice and outstanding lyrics." - Fatea Magazine

“The night I was at the Bluebird Cafe a young Englishman with a rich, resonant voice named Joe Martin seemed primed for bigger things.” - New York Times

The UK's finest troubadour! - W21