More about: Martin Luke Brown

A debut album is a precious thing. One-shot at announcing yourself officially to the world; letting everyone know what you have to say. No wonder, then, that Martin Luke Brown took his time.

Releasing his own works steadily from 2014 to 2018, Martin then took a step back, carving out a career as a prolific songwriter and producer for the likes of Dylan, Jacob Banks, BTS, Gavin James, Greta Isaac, Sody, and many more.

It was over the expanse of quiet days in lockdown that Martin re-connected with his own artistry. With studio sessions on pause, Martin began to make music for himself again. The subsequent album, damn, look at the view!, happened almost by accident; a byproduct of the pure joy Martin experienced from creating authentically. There were no pressures, no expectations, leaving room for joy and contemplation.

The result is evident throughout the record. Anthemic choruses couple with nonchalantly philosophical lyrics such as: “Well, if I'm gonna diе/I might as well fucking try/ To live my life”, on album track, ‘Grateful’. Elsewhere, sentimental meditations on Martin’s family and relationship can be heard on ‘elsie’ and ‘love is a black hole !’.

It’s a nostalgic, hopeful, and wholly heartfelt debut record that both reflects on where Martin is now and how far he has come. And so, a new era begins.

GW: You signed a major label deal in your early 20s but have said retrospectively that it didn’t come at the right time. Can you shed some more light on that?

MLB: I was just young. People develop at different rates. I always thought I was capable. I believed in myself as a musician but I think whatever it is that makes you an artist takes time and you need to know who you are and what it is that you want to say. And it's way more holistic and real world orientated than just signing a deal and writing some songs. I feel sorry for myself at that time, because I was at uni and I'd never had any money. So the idea of signing a deal for a big amount of money was an amazing opportunity. I think I am only really where I am now because of that. It afforded me to be able to live in London and pay rent for like two or three years. And in those three years, that's when I wrote loads, met everyone, so it's all worked out in a really long convoluted way. 

"...That's one of the main themes throughout the album, acknowledging that where you are right now is correct."

The album title, damn, look at the view! feels quite emblematic of how far you have come. 

The irony of all of it is that where I'm at now isn't that different. My day to day is really similar. I'm still going around studios and writing songs. It's like an emotional, internal difference really. I've got a community. I've got people around me, and I feel grounded. I know who I am. I'm rooted in the ground. I'm not desperate for approval. That's one of the main themes throughout the album, acknowledging that where you are right now is correct.

You also went into therapy last year. Did that experience feed into the album?

It was all at the same time. I was always looking outwards, always. When I was with Parlophone, it was the same. It was uncomfortable talking about things that were going on internally. It still is. There's a song on the album that mentions my dad, and certain things have happened with my family and it's really uncomfortable to call them up and have conversations, but it's what I believe in as an artist. It's the stuff that I listen to, the stuff that feels really real. But it's so much easier to talk the talk than actually walk it because no one wants to have those conversations. No one wants a song to become this big political thing within the family. Ultimately, I'm doing it because it's quite therapeutic in itself, writing the song. But the point at which you're choosing to put it out into the world is quite different. It's just a philosophy really, isn't it? That's what I resonate with, so it's what I want to do. 

The album touches on themes such as love, loss and belonging. Overall, it feels quite life-affirming. Was this deliberate? Do you think that energy comes through because you’ve found yourself musically?

I think it's really helped by doing the whole album with one of my best mates, Matt. We've known each other since I was like, 18. He was an insane guitarist. When he moved down to London, we started making music together - throughout lockdown, especially. We were doing Zoom sessions and things - it was tragic! When the lockdown lifted a bit, we got back in [the studio] and we were making stuff for fun. For the last few years, we've both been signed to publishing deals and it becomes a bit business orientated. You're like, do I want to do this session? Is it financially feasible? If this is successful am I going to make money from it? Or am I just pouring my time into something that's just a black hole of my effort and energy that I'm not gonna get anything back from? And, and ultimately, that's a sad way to navigate things when you only get into music because you love it and you want to have a laugh and play with your mates. We did that, we just played and I think that [the life-affirming energy of the album] comes off just by the nature of Matt knowing me and us having really candid conversations about life.

In earlier days, I had a bit of a bee in my bonnet about wanting to be respected and admired by my peers and I think I was a bit neurotic about it. Every song had to be overly poetic or there had to be loads of chords in it. I was making stuff complicated for the sake of proving that I could do stuff that was complicated. And I think with this album, it's totally going back to basics. Every song has only got two or three chords. It's just so simple. And I think lyrically really simple, which is something that I wouldn't have allowed myself to do before. I was too insecure to do that. It was almost as if I wasn't showing off enough. It's totally an internal thing. Because now I'm like, Yes, three chords, I love it! 

Matt gets me as a person, and who I actually am on a day to day basis is super simple. I'm like, Let's get a meal deal! Enjoy the walk to Tesco [laughs]. I'm not a wanky, artsy person at all and I think he really helped me get that across in the music.

"I think if we have a nice time, the byproduct of that is inevitably good. Because doing something for pure joy and all the right reasons, there's no world in which that isn't ever a good thing."

Before this album, you were focusing your efforts as a co-writer and producer for others. How does the process of creating for other people differ from the process of creating for yourself?

It's becoming more concise. I think now, I've fully gone back to basics. I'm like, let's just have a nice time. And I think if we have a nice time, the byproduct of that is inevitably good. Because doing something for pure joy and all the right reasons, there's no world in which that isn't ever a good thing. It's all about capturing energy. If you're with people and you gas each other up and you're having a laugh, something happens when you're recording and throwing mics up. You can feel it, you can really feel it. And for me, that's what I love when I listen to music, I love feeling an energy. I can't quite put my finger on it but I think the only way that you can get that energy is by authentically enjoying it.

You can't neurotically write a song and for weeks and weeks, tweak it and tweak it, you've got to walk the walk. It used to be, I'd go in with artists and I'd be like, I know what it's like to be an artist, it's neurotic, you're analysing and thinking about how everyone's going to perceive it. And now, I'll go in and be like, let's just have a nice time! When I'm writing on my own, it's neurotic and horrible and introverted and I'm super self critical. Less so now. I think I'm just trying to just have a laugh with it.

What do you want people to take away from the album when they listen to it?

For me, it was just cathartic making it. In its conception, it felt completely not cynical. And I think in the industry now, there's so much cynicism, but I just wanted to make something that I really like, and I don't care if it makes money, or if it resonates. I'm hoping that there's an air of refreshing-ness about it. There's something about it that feels really pure and untainted.

What does the beginning of this new era feel like for you?

It feels like growing up. I feel like a man now.

Damn, Look At The View is out May 19th.

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More about: Martin Luke Brown