Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: We’re Jon and Michael (that’s me). Martyrs is just the two of us, writing and recording music in our kitchens and putting it out into the world. We’re adherents of a DIY ethos – everything you hear is us, everything from the songs to the sleeve design is created by our grubby little paws. Funnily enough, we grew up together in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales and our earliest musical loves are very similar – Nirvana, REM, Suede, Manic Street Preachers – but we went off on entirely separate paths and when we regrouped in Kent years later, we both had wildly differing influences and experiences to draw from. Having a shared past combined with completely different life experiences brings something to Martyrs that I find exciting. Where we grew up in South Wales inspired not only our band name (Martyrs is inspired by the English translation of our home town name) but also inspired a lot of the reminiscence and nostalgia in which our new album LUMINISM is steeped.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Martyrs”?
A: We’re focused on the process for the most part – writing and recording. Those are the things we love. It’s been very nice gaining some radio plays, having some kind words written about the songs with the last two singles from LUMNISM, Sunset Thinking’ and ‘Where Did You Go?’ though, there’s no denying that. We’re very happy that a few more people are hearing our songs and some are finding a connection with them. We don’t make music with an expectation of anyone else caring other than us, so when they do, it always feels like a gift. If someone’s about to discover Martyrs through LUMINISM I’d advise getting your headphones in and going for a wander in the sun, or cracking open some Cherry Pepsi Max and getting ready to dance with the dog on your patio – it’s definitely a bright, shiny summer album. If you were to start with our debut album UN DIAVOLO IN CASA you would be best off under the covers, in the fetal position, wondering where it all went wrong. It’s quite dark, that first record.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: The album title and the mood of the record were partly inspired by a painting called ‘Ray of Sun After the Storm’ which is by a Belgian painter called Joseph Theodore Coosemans. It’s on display at the Groeningemuseum in Bruges. There is a room of Luminist art there that made me really consider the importance of the contrast of the light and the dark in art, in people, and in music. Current musical inspirations include Oneohtrix Point Never, Jalen Ngonda, The Blue Nile, Richard Thompson, James May…We probably don’t sound much like any of them, but that’s the sort of stuff that I hear and I want to start writing as soon as the song is over. On LUMINISM we listened to a lot of really well-produced ‘80s stuff like Hall & Oates, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Steely Dan and singer-songwriters from the 70s and 80s like Billy Joel, Christopher Cross and Bruce Springsteen. The things I love all feed into my lyric writing – where I live on the coast, my partner, my family, my cats, novels, pro wrestling, horror movies, train journeys, coffee. All the usual things…
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the album, “LUMINISM.”?
A: We wanted to make a very different album to UN DIAVOLO. We asked ourselves a question: ‘What would yacht rock sound like if, instead of making it in a multi-million dollar studio, you just made it at home?’ We thought we’d give that a crack. It definitely didn’t end up sounding like a Yacht Rock album in the traditional sense – you have two people with songwriting sensibilities that are from completely different genres – but combining the idea of that sound, the essence of it, with a DIY approach led to us idiotically christening the sound ‘Post-Yacht’. I’m trying to make that stick, but it ain’t happening. There are a lot of stories on Luminism. We talk about the dangers of ritual magic, the perils of living in the past; unreliable narrators spin you a lie, lovers lift you up, losers get a chance to win. If there’s any message its’s that the past may be glorious but the future has the chance to be just as good if not better.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Is ‘Post-Yacht’ two words technically speaking?
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “LUMINISM”?
A: Recording at home, trying to make a record that sounds lush, glossy and shiny is immensely difficult. I have to wait until the washing machine finishes its cycle before I can record vocals. Seagulls kept squawking over the quiet parts. Jon had the significant issue of trying to produce a big, beautiful ‘80s-tinged album in his kitchen in Ashford. Quite the task.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: I don’t think there’s a direct message. I think there’s an air of hope. Hope is important. Goals? Make more music, enjoy making it. Challenge ourselves artistically and stylistically. I also hope those that hear our music enjoy it.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Jon is already the perfect collaborator. Hypothetically, I’d like to sing with Carol Martini, she’s a singer-songwriter from California. 10DOTS is a brilliant new darkwave electro artist from London I’d like to sing with, but I think they’re probably much too cool for that. I always hoped we’d get to record with Steve Albini, but that’s what every single artist in the world would say, if they’d any sense. He’s inspired me musically, creatively, in ethos and in his humanity for many years and will continue to do so, as he has done for thousands upon thousands of others.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: I’m more open to learning than I am advising, but I think leaving ego at the door is the only way forward. Remember you aren’t owed anything and remember success should only be measured against your own standards and your own expectations. Creating is its own reward.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: It gets better.
