With a newly released album and a spot on tour with Colt Ford, Louisiana native Bryan Martin is a singer-songwriter who’s paving his way in country music. With two albums – his latest Self Inflicted Scars released on April 29 – and a love of songwriting, it’s not surprising that he’s amassed a catalog of songs well over 300,000. Along with our review of his new album, we recently caught up with Bryan to find out a little bit more about this up-and-coming artist.
CN: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself for our readers?
BM: Nothing too different about me, just a regular ole country boy who grew up in Northwest LA on the border of Texas. I went hunting and fishing on the Sabine River. Started out singing at little festivals at the age of 6, burnt out on singing at 13, but picked it back up at the age of 18 and now here I am.
CN: You started singing at an early age. At what point did you start writing?
BM: I went to riding bulls then went to work at 18 and started writing from there. In the last 15 years I’ve written over 3,000 songs.
CN: Have you written songs for other artists? If so, who?
BM: Yes, I’ve written for Lenny Cooper, Tainted Lyric, Jamie Richards, Austin Tolliver, and more.
CN: Your mother was a singer as well. What is the most important thing she taught you?
BM: She taught me a lot about singing and finding my own voice.
CN: You have a wide range of differing country music styles from traditional, outlaw, country gospel, and southern rock. Which one(s) are you drawn to and why?
BM: I would say it takes all of them to communicate the feelings and emotions that I’ve been through in my life. You can’t have the good without the bad.
CN: How do those styles compare and/or contrast from each other?
BM: Music to me is all about the lyrics and whatever style it takes to relay that message in a way that the listeners can relate to. It’s all a part of my story. So, my life has no genres.
CN: You’re set to release your sophomore album, Self Inflicted Scars, on April 29th. What lessons from your experience creating your first album have you applied to this one?
BM: I’ve been through many struggles since my first album, battles with vices, my relationship, and myself and with each valley I found wisdom. I’m just enjoying the climb.
CN: One of your tunes, “Beauty In The Struggle,” has amassed millions of views on TikTok and over 13 million streams on Spotify. While social media has worked for you to get your music heard, what advice would you give to someone just starting?
BM: No matter what you hear in the beginning, whether it be from the people around you or in your own head, stay focused on the vision and its ever-changing road. The more you live, the more you learn and as long as you believe in yourself you truly can catch up to that dream.
CN: With your new album release approaching, what are your plans for touring?
BM: Right now, I’m playing to whoever will listen, I’m just glad to be on the road. Always, thankful for the fans.
CN: Are there any ”dream tours” you’d love to be on?
BM: Well, I’m already on one with Colt Ford right now but I’d have to say one day I would like to share the stage with Cody Jinks because he’s a genuine guy and I believe his music and mine have a lot of the same core structure.
For more information on Bryan Martin, including a download link to the album and tour information, please visit: www.bryanmartinofficial.com