"WITH ALL IT'S SHAM, DRUDGERY AND BROKEN DREAMS, IT IS STILL A BEAUTIFUL WORLD"
ABOUT
"With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world." The line from the poem Desiderata encapsulates the philosophy of singer/ songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist Martin Paul Cuthew. Music is a mix of catharsis and celebration. His meditations on love, hope and longing are set against a backdrop of bright sonic colours and warm, rich tones ... a foundation of acoustic-rock vocal and guitar is enriched with bold synths and beats to form gutsy pop-rock songs that have drawn comparisons with Frank Turner, Peter Murphy and Mat Kearney.
Based in South-East England, Martin began playing keyboards from an early age, creating instrumental music influenced by electronic artists Jean-Michel Jarre and Jan Hammer. As a teenager, he started playing guitar and listening to the music of bands such as Pink Floyd, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, Blur, Radiohead, whilst retaining his love of electronic music through acts such as Orbital and The Prodigy. However, it was the British rock band Oasis that first really inspired him to want to play live on stage, write songs with lyrics and take music seriously.
Ever since then, Martin has been writing and recording music, further influenced by the likes of Coldplay, Muse and Doves as well as more alternative acts such as Editors, M83, Biffy Clyro and Oceansize. Both as a solo artist and in various bands, he has performed all over South-East England - including The Cage Bar in Reigate, Kingston's Ram Jam Club and Scratchers (Three Lions) in Farncombe - but it is appearances at the international Greenbelt Festival and at legendary London venues, the Half Moon Putney and Dublin Castle in Camden that stand out. One of his previous band's most memorable shows was as the support act for Phil Hartnoll (one half of Orbital) at Brixton Jamm.
Last year saw Martin's first 3 singles all released to positive reviews and international radio airplay, along with successful appearances at Fleet's Concert On The Green and The Leatherhead Food & Music Fiesta. 2022 kick off with the release of his eagerly anticipated fourth single, Just Believe The Truth - a perfectly packaged pop-rock nugget about navigating the highs and lows of a long-term relationship by focusing on the simple truth that love is worth fighting for. He will continue with regular live performances with an EP to follow in the Summer.
Watch "Martin Paul Cuthew - The Story So Far" - a short film documenting all the highlights (and a few lows) of Martin's recent solo career - plus a sneak preview of what's in store for 2022. Check it out on YouTube below ...