Martin Sexton
Encyclopedia
Martin Sexton is an American
singer-songwriter
and producer
originally from Syracuse
, New York
.
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
and scat singing guitar solos. Onstage, he often plays finger style guitar on a Godin model A6 and uses a distortion effect on a 2nd microphone to "sing" solos.
In 2007, his song "Diner" reached a wide TV
audience when it appeared in the Scrubs
episode "My Night to Remember."
Other songs have been featured on NBC's Parenthood "Diggin Me", Showtime's Brotherhood "Can't Stop Thinking Bout You" and others.
Sexton has collaborated with many artist including John Mayer "Can't Stop Thinking Bout You" video and Peter Frampton Frampton & Sexton Jammy Awards at Madison Square Garden.
Notable Press:
“Jumps beyond standard fare on the strength of his voice, a blue-eyed soul man’s supple instrument," adding that "his unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singer’s goal: to amplify the sound of the ordinary heart." – Jon Pareles, The New York Times
“His outstanding taste in songwriting as well as a soul marinated voice that can easily be compared to the likes of a young Steve Winwood or Van Morrison.”
– Rolling Stone
“The real thing, people, a star with potential to permanently affect the musical landscape and keep us entertained for years to come.”
– Billboard
Sexton also plays in venues such as The Fillmore, Nokia, Bonnaroo, Montreal Jazz Fest, New Orleans Jazz fest, Rothbury and more.
and gradually working his way through the scene. His 1992 collection of self-produced demo recordings, In The Journey, was recorded on an old 8-track in a friend's attic. He managed to sell 20,000 copies out of his guitar case busking.
1996-2002 Sexton released Black Sheep, The American, Wonder Bar and Live Wide Open (mixed by Jon Alagia – Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer). The activity and worldwide touring behind these records laid the foundation for the career he enjoys today with an uncommonly loyal fan base, selling out venues from Nokia Theatre (NY) to LA's House of Blues
.
Happily and fiercely independent, Martin Sexton launched his own label KTR (2002). Since then, his continual success through his diversity infiltrates many musical worlds – ranging everywhere from Jam Cruise to Denver's Mile High Fest to Mayercraft Carrier to Carnegie Hall
. His songs are featured in film and television including recent placements on NBC
's Scrubs
and Showtime's hit series Brotherhood.
"Martin Sexton is ripe with raw, expansive talent. His voice comes in a hundred impossible shades. His songs are sweet and spirited and soulful. His repertoire is like a cross-country tour of the American musical vernacular." —Boston Globe
The New York Times wrote that this artist "jumps beyond standard fare on the strength of his voice, a blue-eyed soul man's supple instrument," adding that "his unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singer's goal: to amplify the sound of the ordinary heart."
Since 2007/08 Sexton began his most successful years to date with the release of his studio offering, Seeds. The album debuted at #6 on Billboard
s Heatseekers chart, and the Los Angeles Times writes, "Call him a soul shouter, a road poet, a folkie or a rocker and you wouldn't be wrong."
On the heels of Seeds, the CD/DVD set Solo was released in October 2008 documenting a series of recent unaccompanied live appearances and includes a DVD of his performance at Mile High Festival, Denver Colorado. The album captures Sexton's critically acclaimed incendiary live set in theatres coast-to-coast.
In 2010 his latest studio release, Sugarcoating, finds this one-of-a-kind-troubadour doing what he does best: locating larger truths within the specific details of the life he's living. NBC anchor Brian Williams interviewed Sexton in November 2010 at the Beacon Theatre.
"The best live performer I've ever seen." —John Mayer
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
originally from Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Early life
Sexton grew up the tenth of twelve children in a working class Irish-American family. He acquired his first guitar, a Sears & Roebuck acoustic, at the age of 14 and later played in local rock 'n roll bands. Looking to find his own voice, he left home when he was 22 years old and began busking as a street performer in Harvard SquareHarvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Music
Sexton's music blends many genres of American music, including soul, gospel, country, rock, blues, and R&B. He is known for his wide vocal range and ability to improvise. He is also known for beatboxingBeatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
and scat singing guitar solos. Onstage, he often plays finger style guitar on a Godin model A6 and uses a distortion effect on a 2nd microphone to "sing" solos.
In 2007, his song "Diner" reached a wide TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
audience when it appeared in the Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
episode "My Night to Remember."
Other songs have been featured on NBC's Parenthood "Diggin Me", Showtime's Brotherhood "Can't Stop Thinking Bout You" and others.
Sexton has collaborated with many artist including John Mayer "Can't Stop Thinking Bout You" video and Peter Frampton Frampton & Sexton Jammy Awards at Madison Square Garden.
Notable Press:
- NBC anchor Brian Williams talks to Sexton about life, music and Sugarcoating. BriTunes interview with Martin Sexton
- NPR All Things Considered - Michele Norris NPR Interview
“Jumps beyond standard fare on the strength of his voice, a blue-eyed soul man’s supple instrument," adding that "his unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singer’s goal: to amplify the sound of the ordinary heart." – Jon Pareles, The New York Times
“His outstanding taste in songwriting as well as a soul marinated voice that can easily be compared to the likes of a young Steve Winwood or Van Morrison.”
– Rolling Stone
“The real thing, people, a star with potential to permanently affect the musical landscape and keep us entertained for years to come.”
– Billboard
Sexton also plays in venues such as The Fillmore, Nokia, Bonnaroo, Montreal Jazz Fest, New Orleans Jazz fest, Rothbury and more.
Career
A native of Syracuse, New York, Martin Sexton grew up in the 80's, uninterested in the sounds of the day, and fueled his dreams on the timeless sounds of classic rock and roll. Sexton eventually migrated to Boston, where he began to build his following singing on the streets of Harvard SquareHarvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
and gradually working his way through the scene. His 1992 collection of self-produced demo recordings, In The Journey, was recorded on an old 8-track in a friend's attic. He managed to sell 20,000 copies out of his guitar case busking.
1996-2002 Sexton released Black Sheep, The American, Wonder Bar and Live Wide Open (mixed by Jon Alagia – Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer). The activity and worldwide touring behind these records laid the foundation for the career he enjoys today with an uncommonly loyal fan base, selling out venues from Nokia Theatre (NY) to LA's House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
.
Happily and fiercely independent, Martin Sexton launched his own label KTR (2002). Since then, his continual success through his diversity infiltrates many musical worlds – ranging everywhere from Jam Cruise to Denver's Mile High Fest to Mayercraft Carrier to Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. His songs are featured in film and television including recent placements on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
and Showtime's hit series Brotherhood.
"Martin Sexton is ripe with raw, expansive talent. His voice comes in a hundred impossible shades. His songs are sweet and spirited and soulful. His repertoire is like a cross-country tour of the American musical vernacular." —Boston Globe
The New York Times wrote that this artist "jumps beyond standard fare on the strength of his voice, a blue-eyed soul man's supple instrument," adding that "his unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singer's goal: to amplify the sound of the ordinary heart."
Since 2007/08 Sexton began his most successful years to date with the release of his studio offering, Seeds. The album debuted at #6 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Heatseekers chart, and the Los Angeles Times writes, "Call him a soul shouter, a road poet, a folkie or a rocker and you wouldn't be wrong."
On the heels of Seeds, the CD/DVD set Solo was released in October 2008 documenting a series of recent unaccompanied live appearances and includes a DVD of his performance at Mile High Festival, Denver Colorado. The album captures Sexton's critically acclaimed incendiary live set in theatres coast-to-coast.
In 2010 his latest studio release, Sugarcoating, finds this one-of-a-kind-troubadour doing what he does best: locating larger truths within the specific details of the life he's living. NBC anchor Brian Williams interviewed Sexton in November 2010 at the Beacon Theatre.
"The best live performer I've ever seen." —John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
Albums
- 2010 - Sugarcoating (Kitchen Table)
- 2008 - Solo (Kitchen Table)
- 2007 - Seeds (Kitchen Table)
- 2005 - Camp Holiday (Kitchen Table)
- 2001 - Live Wide Open (Kitchen Table)
- 2000 - Wonder Bar (Atlantic RecordsAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
) - 1998 - The American (Atlantic Records)
- 1996 - Black Sheep (Koch International)
- 1992 - In the Journey (Koch EntertainmentKoch EntertainmentKoch Entertainment was a music, film and television distribution company. It was purchased by E1 Entertainment in 2005 and now operates under the name E1 Entertainment.-History:The company began in 1975 as Koch International...
)
Other contributions
- Live & Direct - Volume 3, WYEP-FMWYEP-FMWYEP-FM is a non-commercial radio station that specializes in eclectic music and programming. The community radio station, which is run by the Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation, operates on 91.3 MHz with an ERP of 18 kW, and is licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.- History :WYEP-FM,...
, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, (2001) - "Where Did I Go Wrong" - Live at the World Café - Volume 9Live at the World Café - Volume 9Live at the World Café: Volume 9 is the ninth volume in an ongoing series of compilation albums showcasing artists that appear on the radio program "World Cafe". "World Cafe" is a two-hour long nationally syndicated music program that originates from WXPN, a non-commercial station on the campus of...
(1999) - "The American" - Live & Direct - Volume 1, WYEP-FM, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (1999) - "The American"
External links
- Official Martin Sexton site
- Martin Sexton Tour dates
- Facebook official
- Twitter official
- Myspace official
- Reverbnation official
- NBC anchor Brian Williams interviews Martin Sexton
- NPR All Things Considered- Michele Norris interviews Martin Sexton
- NPR Music, interviews and live performances
- Martin Sexton, "Sugarcoating" by BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
- Rolling Stone article on Martin Sexton
- CLIF GreenNotes
- Martin Sexton collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive