Laura J Martin's third studio album, tells of the disconnect she felt when returning home to Liverpool to find that all individuality had been erased and replaced by gleaming empty flats. Matt Swanson and Tony Crow from Lambchop join the all-star band for 'On The Never Never' alongside Silver Jews' Brian Kotzur on drums and The Jesus Lizard's Duane Denison on electric guitar. 'On The Never Never' skips through waltz timings, bears influences from Scott Walker to the Compass Point Allstars and picks up a guest vocal from Benjamin Zephaniah along the way.
In January 2012 Laura J Martin released her eagerly anticipated debut album ‘The Hangman Tree’ on Static Caravan. Armed with a flute ready for wrangling, mandolin and a loop station, she sings over her loops and beats; songs inspired by subject matter as disparate as Japanese folklore to real life sentiments and characters. The album, which features the vocals of Euros Childs, shows her wonderfully eccentric folk-driven wonkiness in all it’s glory.
'Dazzle Days' her sophomore album was recorded over three months on a journey from Liverpool to Hoxton via Reykjavík. It features now regular collaborators Mike Lindsay (Tunng) on vocals and Benge who mixed and added synth, Enoesqe beds and Oldfield reverbs at his studio. Laura also took inspiration from Jeremy Steigs collaboration album with Pia Zaidora. Imagine 'Butterfly' starring and sound tracked by Laura Nyro, yeah that good. Tighter pop tunes but convoluted structures. Wonky progressive flute but laurel canyon sweetness, it's all present and correct. Need a further push then think Judee Sill and Linda Perhacs in the studio with Arthur Verocai.
Bónus Skór' is a shoe shop in Reykjavik, Iceland. This is where Laura J Martin went to demo tracks for her new album but ended up in a studio with Mike Lindsay (Tunng / Lump/ Cheek Mountain Thief). Over salt liquorish and Jameson's whiskey they forged a 20 minute travelogue of four tracks segued together with field recordings and issued on Static Caravan. A travelogue of her visit, mashing field recordings with Lindsay's wonky pop and then brought back to the UK for a citrus fresh session with Benge Edwards (The Maths/Wrangler) at the mastering filter station.
Laura J Martin and The Simonsound – a sonic partnership consisting of Simon James and Matt Ford (DJ Format). Analogue synthesizers, tone generators, and reel to reel tape machines buzz and whirr amongst the roots of Laura J Martin’s homegrown supernatural siren song as folk traditions merge with The Simonsound’s science fiction fantasies for this hauntingly progressive/regressive experiment.
Wyndow is a collaboration between Laura J Martin and Lavinia Blackwall (Trembling Bells). A set of musical postcards sent across the wires from Liverpool to Clydebank and once described by a four year old boy as a complete nightmare.