Rufus Wainwright, Ron Sexsmith, Dan Bern, Bob Dylan, The Band, Ryan Adams, Gilllan Welch, Steve Earle, Alexi Murdoch, Aimee Mann, Aberfeldy, Aqualung, Dire Straits, Elliott Smith, Neil Finn, Elton John (pre 1979), Grant-Lee Phillips, The Jayhawks, Andy Sturmer and Jellyfish, Beck, Neil Diamond, Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Squeeze, Teenage Fanclub, Tom Petty
Sounds Like
a singer-songwriter having a right good moan about life!
My name is Geoff Martyn. I started playing keyboards for various bands way back when, founding Travis with my brother Chris, alongside Fran, Andy and Neil. Our formative years were long and the trips in dusty old transit vans were many. Many a great venue and many a toilet were played in along the way. Keyboard and piano chops were learned and re-learned during that period.
I also spent a short spell as an assistant engineer in Cava Sound Workshops in Glasgow around 1990 where I managed to get my first taste of studio work. It wasn't until the mid to late 90's however, and the advent of digital recording that I really started to make headway and record my own songs, leading on to recording other songwriters' music.
Cut to around 2000 when I'd started to venture out to play in bands again, taking up duties ..boards for a few Glasgow-based bands. I eventually worked my way to the front of the stage and formed Kingpin alongside Sandy Watson, Steve Westwater, Gavin Smith and Oreste Gargaro. From that point, I started to really bring my writing and singing to the fore and with the help of my fellow bandmates, started to write and record again in earnest.
Kingpin disbanded eventually and I started to branch out on my own, recording a live acoustic album in Glasgow's Tchai Ovna in the heart of the West End with acclaimed producer and engineer Brian Tench (Kate Bush). Several gigs later in London and more than a few over in LA, the band I'd pulled together (Oreste Gargaro, Steve Westwater and Seamus O'Donnell) recorded an EP called 'Bring Me Down' under the name 'Jupiter and Teardrop'. It was this EP, alongside a decent following and buzz created by doing selective gigs on the LA scene, led to the band being invited to attend South by Southwest in 2005 where we started to come to the attention of various record companies and A&R folks. However, the business being like the business was, we didn't come home with a record deal, but rather a few great contacts and a rather large credit card bill!!! Ouch.....
Not to be defeated, I signed up with a few agencies in the US to license my songs to TV shows & films.
Since 2005 my music has appeared in several prime-time TV shows, including:
Reunion - Fox Network
Men In Trees - ABC Network
Unhitched - Fox Network
Eli Stone - ABC Network
One Tree Hill - Warner Bros Network
Summerland - Spelling TV Network
Brothers and Sisters - ABC Network
In 2005 I also attended my first Chris Difford songwriting retreat, having opened for Chris at the Albany Theatre in Deptford as part of BBC Radio 2s Sold on Song in 2003. Chris was being interviewed about songwriting and when I heard about the retreat, I asked Chris afterwards if he could let me know if he was ever looking for other people to go along. It was during April 2005 that I had spent an evening googling songwriting retreats and had only found a few links to courses in Scandinavia, and the US. I had all but given up when I work early the next day and got an email through on my phone (yes, I've always been a geek). It was from Chris and attached was an invite to the next Songwriting retreat in Oxon Hoath, Kent in July of that year. The synchronicity of that chance email was quite incredible and I think I was probably the first to respond and send my deposit through! I have since attended 4 of these retreats, the first one in Kent was followed by another 3 in the magical surroundings of Monestevole in the Umbrian hills of Italy. I've not been able to go on the last two, but hope to go to the next one wherever that may be.
During my time at the songwriting retreats, I've had the great pleasure of writing with some incredible musicians and songwriters. I have also had the great fortune to write a handful of songs with Chris himself, two of which made it onto his new solo album, 'The Last Temptation of Chris' - which is of course, first class, features the talents of the marvellous Boo Hewerdine. Chris and Boo recently performed the song 'Battersea Boys', which I co-wrote with Chris, on the BBC TV Show, Later with Jools Holland.
I also took part in the first Burnsong Song House alongside seven incredible singers and songwriters, Riley Briggs, David Scott, Sophie Bancroft, Emily Smith, Marc Pilley, Boo Hewerdine and Niki King. There's something to be said about sharing your time with like-minded souls with the intention of writing music and lyrics together for nothing other than the enjoyment of the experience. Some of the happiest times of my life have been spent in the company of these fellow troubadours and I'd like nothing better than to sing harmonies with each and every one of them all day, every day!!
For the last couple of years I've been self-employed as a musician, studio engineer, session musician, songwriter and producer. It's a happy lot I have in life at the moment and I'm very lucky to be doing something I truly love. So you'll forgive me if I get commercial on your collective asses in the next few paragraphs.
I am available for session keyboards/piano/hammond on your recordings if you're looking for a keyboard player. I can do pretty much everything keyboards-wise: Piano (Acoustic and Electric), Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer, keyboards, synths etc etc. I can either come to your studio of choice to work with you, or you can send me the tracks and I can work on the tracks and send you them back as either midi files (Pro Tools, Logic, Digital Performer and others) alongside audio versions at your required bitrate and resolution.
Of course, if like quite a lot of musicians today you're recording at home, bring your session in and we can do the keyboards in my own studio. I can also travel with a piano and keyboards rig, based around a Macbook Pro, an mBox2 and a host of samples and virtual instruments (Mellotron, Piano, Hammond Organ using Native Instruments B4II). My piano is a Roland RD-700 with the SRX Piano Expansion board.).
I have recently worked with Roddy Hart, The Endrick Brothers, Athena Andreadis, & Danielle Gasparro.
I also have a recording setup and am available as an engineer for small to medium sized projects, message me for details and current rates. At the moment I'm ideally suited to singer-songwriters who are also looking for someone to get involved in the co-production and arrangement duties.
I currently work out of a studio in Kilmacolm in Renfrewshire, and I'm looking in the next couple of months to setup a home-based recording studio again, which proved very popular over the last couple of years. However, I can also come to you and bring a portable setup if you have a space you'd like to record in.
If you are interested in buying a Jupiter and Teardrop EP, you can email me directy, or go straight to iTunes, where you should be able to buy the Jupiter and Teardrop EP, Bring Me Down.
Studio for hire
I currently have a nice wee project studio (see profile above / photos page) and I'm looking to work with Singer-Songwriters and bands from anywhere and everywhere. If you have a project you'd like to start work on, please drop me a line and let me know what you have in mind. Rates differ from project to project, but overall I just want to work with people who love music and want to create something really special.
email info@geoffmartyn.co.uk or send me a message through myspace.
Hey Geoff, good to see you online, hope you're still writing and performing (at least occasionally for the latter...). Be great to see you play again soon. Hope the wurlitzer's treating you well! Stuart (Martin and James keys)
what up, homez? i'm playing at the captain's rest wi my flatmate's band the gillyflowers on tuesday. if you're about and fancy a wee snifter...hope all's well with you&yours.
things aint been too good lately, but stuck on bring me down to make me feel better, an inspired choice, amazing song! are you going to the songwriters retreat? i wanted too but cant make this one! anyway let me know when ur gigging again
Hello Geoff. Oh taht Monestrevole tune fo yours brings back so many memories, some happy adn some sad. Im hoping to be at your gig on Saturday, do you just pay for tickets at the door? Be great to hear you live again,
Featuring Frightened Rabbit, Jocasta Sleeps, Popolo, Arca Felix, Anna Meldrum, Ross Clark & The Scarves Go Missing, Brother Louis Collective, Janet & The Boo Walks, & more
DJ sets from Craig Grant (Union Of Knives), Malky B (The Mill), Mixtape! DJs Div G, Twin Atlantic, Flood Of Red, The Dykeenies, & Team Lofi!
Drinks promos & Xmas presents for all from the Lofi Santa!
Hi everybody, just here to say a big thanks for all your support. The new workshop is well and truly up and running and the custom cabs are now available to order. All the best, Stevie Flynn.
Hello Geoff You're a top lad and great to see you here on Myspace I think I've found a talented female songwriter from Manchester area, you would be good for each other. she has got the gene so to speak Will try put her in touch with you Bless xm It was a great pleasure meeting you and doing them shows a while back!
Ciao from It'ly mate! Very nice to know you and hello indeed from that whole gang up there at Monestevole. Take care, & THANKS for "connecting". "caris arkin"
