Martin talks about scaring old people, his ambitions and Radiohead....
First off, How has the tour been so far?
Martin: It's been really fun. It's hard work, because I've been ill as well, but it's good, it's been received well and everyone has been really nice, it's great!
What has been the best gig so far, any in particular that stand out in your mind?
Martin: The last gig we did was good.... There's only been a couple of gigs that I haven't enjoyed butr that's because I had a fever and I was nearly falling over onstage!
How would you describe your sound?
Martin: I'd describe the live sound as being very aggressive, it's a lot heavier than it is on the record.
Who would you say your influences are?
Martin: Everything from radiohead to Nine Inch Nails, to Korn, to Bjork.. Everything really!
On the subject of NIN and Radiohead, how do you feel about being compared to them??
Martin: It's great. It's beautiful to be compared to people that you highly respect, it's fantastic. To be accused of being a copy is different, but comparisons are good, as I think they're amazing artists.
In several articles it hs been said that your music is "incredible for someone who is nineteen years old" and that "sometimes you forget that Martin is only 19". Do you ever worry that people focus on your age too much, and do you ever wonder whether their reaction would be the same if you were older?
Martin: I don't really, I mean maybe it wouldn't be so pungent if I was older, I can't really hide the fact I'm 19! I don't mind as long as it's not the only thing they focus on, even if there's only a little bit of "oh and the music's good anyway." As soon as they say that "it's amazing that 19 year olds make music" I'll be worried...
What was it like making the recent video for Open Heart Zoo?
Martin: *laughs* It was fun, it was cold, and it was wet. I had backpains and all that nonsense but it was fun. It was a little bit stressful as he had zero money and zero time and zero anything, zero help! We didn't have proper crew, they were fantastic, but the lighting guy wasn't a lighting guy etc! The company gave us like 2p and said here, make something that we might be able to use on the internet one day! *laughs* It was nice to see it on Kerrang!, it was a surprise!
Where do you get inspiration for your songs from?
Martin: Anywhere! Movies, other people, inter-relationships. Ooh that sounds naff but it's true! The way you view yourself and the way other people view you. A lot of the music is very internalised, kind of inspiration is myself. Not in the way that I look at myself in the mirror and go "ta daaa!" .*laughs*. Just stuff that I deal with, music is more like a way of describing and explaining stuff that I can't describe in words. It kind of comes out and tells me itself!
What were your ambitions when you were younger, or have you always wanted to be a musician?
Martin: Music was always one of my ambitions but I had the other ones too like astronaut, detective... *laughs*
Do you feel under pressure to live up to peoples expectations that they might have after reading some of the articles that have been written about you?
Martin: Yeah definitely! It's hard as we've kind of rushed into it as I've only just signed and the albums only just finished and I kind of sat back and went "Right, now I can sort this out, and this and this, I've got time, and the b-sides will be sorted" and then it was suddenly like BANG everything NOW!. Then you get worried that you're only doing half measures, and you worry about how you're going to live up to the hype without giving up half of it and doing it as half of what it should be.
If you could tour with any band past or present, who would you choose?
Martin: Soundgarden! If I couldn't have soundgarden... no I'd just choose Soundgarden! *laughs*
Do you think that people are ever surprised by how heavy the music is live compared to on the record?
Martin: The normal reactions are either "uuurgh i dont like this" as they expect some bloke to be sitting at a piano doing quiet acoustic numbers, or I get people coming up and going "NOW it makes sense, now I understand....", or they say "I like the album, but I like the live, but it's different! I think people are shocked. You get some old people coming in just for Open Heart Zoo, expecting to see a choir or something then they hear the electric guitars and they're like "ARRRRGH!" *covers ears* and they go and sit in the bar until Open Heart Zoo comes on , then they leave. *laughs*
What is your favourite song of yours and why?
Martin: Of mine? wow.... erm... I'm pretty much sick of everything! *laughs I've heard it a million times! Probably....Twin. Normally a musicians favourite stuff is the new stuff, that's the same for me, all my favourite songs are the ones that aren't on the album, but recorded it would have to be Twin.
How does it feel to see the advert on tv, with your song playing? Are you glad your song was used?
Martin : I'm very glad or I wouldn't be here tonight, I'd still be in my bedroom! Do you watch it or do you think "Agh no turn it off!"?
Martin: The first time I was like "wow..... everyone in the whole world knows me!" *laughs* Despite the fact it was only played in England and noone knew who it was anyway!.... I was like walking down the street going *looks around in amazement* "Did you hear that??!? THAT'S MY SONG! *laughs* But they don't as they dont know! Then after a while its like *to the tune of Open Heart Zoo* "mneeeeeeeeh mnheeeee mneeeeeh mnheeeeeeeeeee-" TURN IT OFF!" The videos on Kerrang! at the moment, but for me it's like one of those really annoying videos that goes on for too long that I can't be bothered to watch! *laughs*. I'm insulting my music now!
Did it ever worry you that you might be "oh that one from the advert!" or "oh the one that did that song?"
Martin: Yeah you do worry. You hope and you pray that the new material stops you from being a one hit wonder, like I really liked Babylon Zoo but they went straight down the pan after "Spaceman" and I thought that was a really good song!!!!!! So of course I worry but you just have to hope that your material is good enough.
What was the first band that you saw live?
Martin:*laughs* Radiohead!!!!
What are your ambitions as a musician now?
Martin: Most important thing is to continue making music that I choose to make, and to be completely free in it. Maybe I'd like to do sountracks, dabbling in film stuff. Not the acting!!!! Most important is making music I want to make.
Have you got any advice for anyone who is thinking about getting into the music industry, anything that you know now that you wish you had known at the beginning?
Martin: There's nothing I wish I'd known, but my main advice is definitely make music for yourself, that you like, don't ever listen to anything anyone says unless you agree with it straightaway. If warning signals go off, don't do it! The worst thing you can do is make music for other people. Even if you're successful at it it ruins your art. You end up in a place where you don't know what you're style is. When I make music Im 100% pleased with it. If you look properly, you're music is representing you. Not everyone gets to come and talk to you to find out what you're like, it's through what your video looks like, what your songs like that matters. I find it hard anyway as the representation of me is accurate, but it's like handing someone a three year old photo of me (it took three years to record the album) as it is you, but it's not you now, it's three years ago. But if I were to hand someone a picture of someone else from three years ago, that would be even worse!...... Unless it was Brad Pitt! *laughs*
