Once you see Andrew Martin, you won’t soon forget him.
A tall, slender drink of water with high, tousled black hair – often sporting a colourful jacket, drainpipe pants and leopard-print winklepickers – he stands out in a crowd.
Martin looks like a rocker, and he should, because his wardrobe – although impressive – has got nothing on his guitar-playing skills. I’m not the only one of this opinion, as he was recently awarded a gold record for his work with the Canadian-American band Palaye Royale.
More on that later.
Local beginnings
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a Caymanian mother, he grew up in Grand Cayman in a residence opposite Sunset House and attended St. Ignatius Catholic School. It was there that he had his first taste of playing in a band.
“My musical escapade began as the bass player in the St. Ignatius school band… I was fired quickly,” Martin laughed, but added, in his ever-positive way, “Can’t have success without failure.”
At the age of 13, he moved back to Louisiana, where his father exposed him to the thriving blues scene. The sights and sounds made a big impact on the young teenager. “Music [then] took over my life and has been my profession ever since,” he said. “I followed my heart.”
The guitar became his passion, and throughout his teenage years and beyond, he played with many bands covering a wide range of genres. “[I] toured for years around the country, making friends and getting better,” he said.
Honey of a band
Martin met singer Jess Joy about 10 years ago in Louisiana, and from that meeting sprang both a romantic relationship and the swamp rock band ‘Moon Honey’. Sensing they had something special, the duo made the move to Los Angeles in late 2014 after releasing their debut album ‘Hand-Painted Dream Photographs’. With Joy’s soaring, ethereal vocals – compared by some to Kate Bush’s – and Martin’s searing guitar work, they made their unique mark on the City of Angels.
“LA was going through its garage rock band period at the time,” Martin said, adding that he felt it was an excellent opportunity for Moon Honey to bring something different to the table. They quickly got a manager and began selling out prominent venues in town, when they weren’t touring.
“[It] was a complete whirlwind and something I only dreamed of,” Martin said. “I’m very grateful for the community I have [in LA]. [Our] band got great articles in The New York Times, [National Public Radio] and more, which were all career milestones.”
By the time the duo eventually parted ways in 2019 with the final farewell album, ‘Dreamlet’, Martin had become a sought-after guitarist by producers and other groups.
Moving on up
For starters, David Lee Roth, former frontman of Van Halen, needed a guitarist, and Martin came highly recommended. He must have made an impression, because he was hired and subsequently played with the singer for eight months.
The job brought some highlights, not the least of which was playing an invitation-only showcase where Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave stood right before him, watching his every move.
Martin might have continued playing with Roth, had the opportunity to tour with Palaye Royale not arisen. The chance to travel throughout the world and play concerts – with the freedom to write music at the same time – held too much appeal to resist, and so Martin packed his bags and guitars.
It seems he made the right decision, as it led to what he states as being the best experience he’s had so far in his musical career – playing a sold-out show at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London.
“Feeling the sea of energy from people, screaming and experiencing such immense joy, is something you can never forget,” he said.
That hasn’t been the only highlight. Performing alongside Fleetwood Mac in the Netherlands and Foo Fighters at various festivals; the first time playing in Tokyo; and being on stage in front of 50,000 people when the band toured with the likes of Rob Zombie were apparently pretty special moments too.
You don’t say?
Gold record
While working with the band, Martin has also collaborated on some projects with Ashton Irwin of 5 Seconds of Summer, who is close with them all. Things seem to keep moving onward and upward for the guitarist… which brings us to that gold record.
Martin wrote ‘The Bastards’ with Palaye Royale, and the album has gone on to sell over 500,000 units, hence the award.
“Definitely a monumental and validating experience to receive that,” he said. It’s also no small feat. Who knows where it will get to after the great pause created by COVID? The band had only just started touring Europe to promote the record when the pandemic erupted.
Hopefully there will be more accolades to come.
In the meantime, Martin is happy to keep expanding his horizons, learning new styles and methods of playing as he evolves. The education never really ends, as far as he is concerned.
“I’ve learned so much from working [with others],” he said, stating that the way forward, if one wishes to become more accomplished, is to remain egoless.
Following giants
He cites Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, David Bowie, Fela Kuti, George Harrison and Iggy Pop as some of his musical inspirations, but when it comes specifically to guitarists, it’s hard to unseat one particular man.
“Most of my favorite guitarists are heavily flawed, unique characters that usually lack proper technique and training,” Martin said. “I don’t play anything like him – and most can’t – but Keith Richards changed the way I look at the ‘style’ of the guitar. I find his playing relates most to the human soul and isn’t covered up with fireworks or flashy gimmicks. Delightfully imperfect and straight to the heart.
“I love musicians (and people) that aren’t afraid to make mistakes. With enough swag and finesse you can make anyone’s day.”
Martin owns eight vintage guitars – a mix of Fenders and Gibsons. “These old guitars are timelessly poetic and have a certain mysticism about them,” he said. “You never know what they went through, or who with. The journeys, songs, broken hearts, successes and all the love that a human pours into an instrument is aged gracefully into the DNA of the wood.”
He predominantly plays Fender Telecasters and is endorsed by the Fender company.
Future looks bright
COVID has forced a performance break upon Martin and musicians around the world, and he does miss being on stage, but has accepted that “now is the time to grow and reset”.
He already has plans in the works to form a new band, yet to be named, with Lauren Ruth Ward who he dubs “the next queen of rock and roll”, and is presently busy collaborating with her on songs for a future album.
When Martin is able to return to LA, he’ll be putting the finishing touches on the new Palaye Royale record; preparing to tour again; and getting back to working more with Irwin and producer Matt Pauling.
Maybe being able to step back for a while for a rest has been a good thing, before his star continues on its shooting trajectory. As of now, he is booked to be on tour every single month of 2022 and 2023, and that suits him just fine.
“It’s been a long, beautiful road so far,” he said, with a smile. “I trust in music to take me to where I need to be.”
| Note: If anyone was in The Bird last Saturday night, they would have enjoyed a taste of Martin’s talent. He was the guitarist in the band.
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