Portland, Oregon's Jeffrey Martin is a minister's son who can build a house with his bare handsand holds a master's degree in English. He worked his way through school as a carpenter, then,following graduation, spent four years teaching high school. It was during that time that hiscareer as a songwriter came into bloom. Struggling to strike a balance between his increasinglyrigorous Northwest/West Coast touring and his efforts to get teenagers to love words as muchas he did, Martin found himself in thetricky position of having to choose between his two passions.
Much to the delight of his fans, music won the day. Now, with three intensely lyric-driven albumsunder his belt, two of which were released on the Portland indie-label, Fluff & Gravy Records,Martin has developed a loyal and growing audience, both domestically and abroad. Martin isreturning a restless touring schedule that’s taken him on several laps around the U.S. and Europe while landing him on stages with luminaries including Joe Pug, Gregory Alan Isakov,Jeffrey Foucault, Sean Hayes, Peter Mulvey, Amanda Shires, Colter Wall, Ruth Moody, CaitlinCanty, and others.
Jeffrey Martin writes music that probes the depths of the human experience and doesn't shyaway from its darkest corners. His songs can feel like short stories from literary giants likeSteinbeck, Burroughs, or Cormac McCarthy and possess a raw intensity that comes fromseeing his subjects up close. All the struggle, hurt, strife, and heartbreak that comes from livingin this world are laid bare and unvarnished, yet somehow, Martin manages to mine and makespace for what beauty remains.
Presently, Martin is writing for his fourth full-length album at a deliberative pace and makingplans to enter the studio to record later this year. He's recently signed with Tommy Alexander ofPilot Light Booking who’s built an ambitious touring itinerary throughout the US and thissummer, he’ll return to Europe for dates in the U.K., Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark,Norway, and Sweden.
