Artist Intro | Martin Luke Brown
Martin Luke Brown released his new single ‘grateful’ in October 2022. Drenched with a blissful, west coast inspired sound, ‘grateful’ is the second single to be taken from Martin’s debut album, due for release next year through Kartel Music Group’s own label, AMK. Stream ‘grateful’ here.
Martin comments on the track, “I played it to my best mate and he laughed and said something like ‘mate this is so you’. As an artist I don’t feel like I ever landed anywhere that felt fully authentic to me, so that felt like the best compliment I could possibly have got. I love it, it’s just chill innit. I love that the whole chorus sentiment is ‘let’s go for a walk’, it's so basic but feels so true. Amidst all the complication and existential angst I really do believe that life is best simple.”
A self taught multi instrumentalist since the age of 12, Martin Luke Brown grew up in Leicester, a cultural melting pot, which defined his formative years, before moving to London for University aged 19. Before the move, Martin weaved his way into East Midlands’ rich music scene and attracted support from BBC Introducing alongside artist friends such as Mahalia, Easylife, Saint Raymond. Once relocated in the capital, two years of gigging and writing alongside studying lead to him leaving University early after his debut single ‘Nostalgia’ landed him a major label record deal.
In 2017, Martin decided to take an indefinite break from his artist project. He’d already begun working on other projects, and naturally transitioned into more of a collaborator - guiding other artists and helping them find their voice. In the five years since, Martin has had over 100 released songs as either a co-writer or a producer, including songs with BTS, Dylan, Jacob Banks, Gavin James, Greta Isaac, James Smith, Orla Gartland, Sody, Jack Kane, and many more.
As the world came to a standstill in early 2020, the daily rhythm of sessions; writing, recording and working with other artists, stopped too. It was during this time Martin refined his own artistry, leading to this new project - one that marks a significant new era in both his musical career and life. Awash with a palpable feeling of nostalgia and bittersweet reflection, Martin deals unapologetically with themes of love, loss and belonging; his potent lyricism delivered with a characterful, unfussy vocal and a sound that is defined by both the intrinsic sense of fun he injects into the writing process and genuine sentimentality.
On ‘grateful’, Martin continues, “The whole song was written almost in real time - a stream of consciousness sort of vibe and yeah, I love it. It feels like me and I haven't been able to confidently say that about any of the music I've put out before. Even the key change at the end, it’s just so goofy and playful. This song in particular from the project really felt like just going back to basics and just enjoying the process.”
‘grateful’ is out now through Kartel Music Group’s own label, AMK.
Listen to the new single ‘grateful’ here
Watch the video for ‘grateful’ here
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