Laura J. Martin

Laura J Martin is a musician, songwriter, and producer based in Liverpool. As a musician, Martin has worked and performed with Euros Childs (Gorkys Zygotic Mynci), Mike Lindsay (Tunng, Lump), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Lavinia Blackwall (Trembling Bells), Lambchop's Matt Swanson and Tony Crow, Brian Kotzur (Silver Jews) and Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard) and Buck 65.
In February 2011, Martin performed with 'Jonny' (Norman Blake and Euros Childs) for their BBC Radio 6 Music session with Marc Riley. This led to Riley inviting Laura to her own solo session and a further seven sessions have followed to date. Her debut album ‘The Hangman Tree’ which featured guest performances from Euros Childs and Buck 65, was released in 2011 on Static Caravan Recordings. It was hailed as Sunday Times’ Breaking Act, “a musician of startling originality” and received glowing reviews from Uncut, Q Magazine, The Independent, The Daily Mirror and was featured in ‘The Word’s cover Mount CD. Her debut release had extensive play on BBC Radio 6 Music more sessions for Marc Riley and Cerys Matthews and repeated plays from Stuart Maconie, Gideon Coe and Lauren Laverne.
In 2012, Martin released EP ‘Bónus Skór’ – a collaboration with Mike Lindsay (Tunng, Lump) which they wrote and recorded in Reykjavik, Iceland. Her second solo album ‘Dazzle Days’ was released in 2013 and featured recordings made with Benge (Wrangler, John Foxx & The Maths). This again caught the attention of press and radio including BBC Radio 3's The Verb and BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction, whereby Laura was asked to perform a session with Shawn Lee at Maida Vale.
2014 saw Laura collaborate on writing and performing the score for Liverpool Everyman’s ‘Bright Phoenix’ with Martin Heslop and Vidar Norheim at Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. Also in 2014, Martin was selected to participate in that year's Red Bull Music Academy, held in Tokyo, Japan.
Her third solo album 'On The Never Never' was released in 2016, and dealt with wider social issues and themes. This was a change of direction from her previous work and was inspired by reading Paul Kingsnorth's 2009 book 'Real England and conversations about the changing face and creeping blandness of her hometown with Liverpool writer Jeff Young. Tony Crow and Matt Swanson of Lambchop invited Laura to record with Mark Nevers (Bonnie Prince Billy, Lambchop, Charlie Louvin, Bill Callahan) in Nashville at the producer's Beech House studio. As well as Tony Crow and Matt Swanson, Nevers installed Brian Kotzur (Silver Jews) and Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard) to complete the in house band. String parts and gospel voices were further added to complete the Nashville session sound. A guest vocal from Benjamin Zephaniah was added back in England on the track 'That's the Way'. 'On The Never Never' caught the attention of Lauren Laverne “An extremely unique sound, I love the combinations of textures she puts together” particularly with the track 'My Landing Place' with Laverne featuring it as an 'MPFree' on her show.
Laura's most recent release was a collaborative project 'Wyndow' written with Lavinia Blackwall of Trembling Bells. It was The Quietus’ ‘Album of the Week’ and received critical acclaim from Uncut – “understated Marvel”, The Scotsman, Prog Magazine, Shindig Magazine and many more.
Martin has performed and toured with the likes of Euros Childs, Teenage Fanclub, PJ Harvey, Scout Niblett, Buck 65, Cate Le Bon, Stornoway, The Joy Formidable and Kidkanevil. Martin has also performed at various festivals including regular slots at Green Man Festival and Latitude Festival, Bestival, Camp Bestival, Sŵn Festival Shambala Festival,Tramlines, Moseley Folk Festival and Soundwave Festival (Croatia).
==Discography==
Solo albums
* The Hangman Tree (2011)
* Dazzle Days (2013)
* On The Never Never (2016)
EPs
* Bónus Skór (2012)
* I Can't Bear to Feel Myself Forgotten (2016)
Singles
* Spy (2011)
* Red Flag (2011)
* Do It (2016)
* Counting Time (2023)
==Collaborations and Appearances==
* Wyndow - Wyndow (Summer Critics)
* Lump (Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay): Lump (Chrysalis/Partisan)
* Lump: Animal (Dead Oceans)
* Euros Childs - Situation Comedy (National Elf)
* Euros Childs - Sweetheart (National Elf)
* Low Roar - St. Eriksplan (Nevado Records)
* Lavinia Blackwall - Muggington Lane End
* Georgia Ruth - Mai
* Gary Daly – Gone From Here
* The Joy Formidable - Hitch
* Richard James - All The New Highways
* Short and Curlies: Euros Childs, Sweet Baboo, H.Hawkline and Laura J Martin) At The Dance (National Elf)
* Bonus Skor - Bonus Skor (Static Caravan)
* Laura J Martin and The Simonsound - Inside Your Bones (Finders Keepers)
* Alice Russell - Lights Went Out
* Charlotte Greig: Dr Freud's Cabaret – Studies In Hysteria
* Stateless - Exit (!K7 Records)
Category:People from Liverpool
Category:Musicians
Category:Songwriters
Category:Producers