"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 South-East England based 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.
Martin played keyboards from an early age before moving onto guitar in his teens. He absorbed Pink Floyd, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead alongside electronic acts Orbital and The Prodigy. However, it was British rock band Oasis that first really inspired him to write songs and take music more seriously. Since then, Martin has been writing and recording music, further influenced by Coldplay, Muse, M83 and Biffy Clyro. 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.
Martin's first 4 pop-rock singles were all released to positive reviews and international radio airplay, and last year he made successful appearances at the Gosport Waterfront Festival, Weybridge Arts Festival and the Leatherhead Music & Food Fiesta. He is now expanding his sound with his "Erosion & Evolution" EP - a collection of 5 songs exploring change, loss, personal growth and acceptance - described by KMS Reviews as "an outstanding emotional work". Lead single, The Machine, had A&R Factory proclaiming "The switch in the guitar and synth tones are effortlessly matched by the luminously humanist soul projected through the lyrics and optimism-inspiring vocals, which spoke to [us] on a level that normally only James Dean Bradfield reaches." Martin is set to release the EP's 2nd single, Holding On, in the coming weeks and will appear this Spring/Summer at The Portsmouth Chilli & Gin Festival and Guildford's ShyneFest.