Craig Martinson, been going back and forth with this dude for the past couple of days and after reading his story I was very inspired by what a deep human being Craig is, and how much heart and emotion he puts into his music. I thought it was only fair that I share his story as well because it really shows where he gets his great lyrical range in terms of fantastic metaphorical emotion filled with a chilled out vibe that is absolutely perfect for a beautiful Monday to set the energy for the rest of the week. I hope you enjoy Craig’s story as much as I do and vibe out to this track, just forget about the week ahead.
In the world of independent music, there are countless stories of unheralded man-children obsessively twisting nobs and perfecting their musical masterpieces for months on end. Those stories pale in comparison to that of Craig Martinson.
Martinson spent four years, his entire mid-20s, in a house north of Boston. He rarely left. He hardly slept. He struggled through a half-dozen shows and then, demoralized, retreated to his bedroom. He recorded an entire album, destroyed the files, vowed to quit music and started all over again.
Where many “artists” would toil away in a drug induced haze, enveloped by the stench of their own vomit, Martinson–true to form–opted to go it alone. Having never taken a drug or had a drink, he was left only with the true madness of a misunderstood soul, the keen sting of a broken heart and the staggering ability to write a song that cuts to the core of life itself.
The impetus for his four-year hibernation came when Martinson broke up with his girlfriend and spent a summer contemplating life or death while holed up in a friend’s garage in suburban Massachusetts. He decided he could either die or write songs. He chose to write songs. Out of the pits of despair came the music that forms his album, Heartbeat, a life-affirming ascent out of his own personal hell and one of the most stunning achievements made by any kid who locked himself away in a dark room intent on shutting out the world and making something that would outlast it. But it took a long time to get here… Like…a really long time…
Now, armed with a guitar army of childhood friends who never left his side even when his path out of the musical wilderness seemed completely doomed, Martinson is ready to unleash Heartbeat on the world. The influences are clear—the kid has spent his time wisely, drawing from the 60s chamber pop of the Beach Boys, the guile of the Kinks and the energy of the Stones.
Four years in the making, Martinson’s album is a clarion signal that if you never give up, never lose hope and work until your fingers bleed, dreams can come true in a heartbeat.”
This is pure truth and creative determination, press play and get inspired as I have by this!