Martin Sexton puts his signature style on his rendition of this iconic Beatles album combining what Rolling Stone calls his “soul-marinated voice” with his inventive guitar prowess.
Martin Sexton returns to the Opera House stage on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 8:00 PM. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Advance tickets range from $35 to $50, plus Eventbrite fees. Tickets will increase by $5 on the day of the show. Friends of the MPOH can purchase tickets on May 1st and 2nd and the general public can begin purchasing tickets on May 3rd at 8:00 am.
Singer-songwriter Martin Sexton is like an ultra-active antenna, adventuring through the static to grab a clear signal. When he dials in on one station, he then quickly shifts to the next one. This ever-changing attention span drives his family crazy, but it’s ingrained in Martin, dating back to his childhood when he would tear through television primetime programming.
This ability to hone in on little defining moments suits Martin as a songwriter as evidenced by his EP, 2020 Vision. It is a poetically emotive and elegantly evocative pandemic scrapbook. “In one song, I’m building a treehouse with my son. In another song, I’m crossing America and seeing the beauty in people rising through adversity and loving each other,” Martin details.
The recordings were tracked virtually during lockdown and produced by three-time Grammy-nominee John Alagia, best known for producing John Mayer’s breakout album, Room For Squares. Mayer, who has always championed Martin as a foundational influence, makes a special guitar solo cameo on one of the EP’s singles, “Calling on America.” This 4-song collection is available on digital platforms and also issued as a handsomely-packaged vinyl release.
Martin’s ever-shifting focus also manifests itself in his freewheeling musicality. He nurtured a critically acclaimed trademark aesthetic by embracing soul, folk, blues, rock, pop, and sweet balladry. His last album, 2015’s Mixtape of the Open Road, garnered raves from the Wall Street Journal, Billboard, Folk Alley/NPR Music, and Relix Magazine.
One constant in Martin’s life and his music is celebrating America. His 1996 Black Sheep album featured a rendition of “America The Beautiful,” and his major-label debut was simply called The American. Also, Martin got his start in music by leaving his upstate New York hometown with seventy-five bucks and a Stratocaster to chase his aspirations, which brims with anthemic American Dream overtones.
“I see America as flawed, but not irredeemable. I love that we have community leaders, politicians, actors, and artists from all backgrounds speaking up, raising their voices, and becoming the heroes of today,” Martin says. “My faith is renewed to see the injustices of the world now beginning to be met with accountability. I remain hopeful and optimistic.”
