Adam Martin

TALENT TELEVISION shows often get a bad rap as some believe they’re machines producing manufactured artists. But many contestants (often not the actual winners) get discovered by having a platform to take a leap from.

Adam Martin is a born singer/songwriter. At eight he decided to be an actor but then at eighteen he discovered the Beatles at eighteen never looked back. Adam always wrote poems but then when he learnt five chords he could turn his poetry into songs. Soon he found himself doing gigs around Melbourne.

To his credit Adam was hesitant about going on The Voice Australia 2012 with the fear of losing his “artistic identity” which is something to give him credit for. But when he auditioned he realised it was in fact an opportunity of a lifetime.

Adam turned out to become one of the favourite contestants of the Voice and on April 8th he released his debut single In My Dreams which was a collaboration with Evermore’s lead vocalist Jon Hume. The catchy pop tune was the most played track added to Aussie radio after its release and the other night I saw it in the Top 20 of Foxtel music station Max.



Below is the great video for In My Dreams:





I feel so fortunate to have interviewed Adam who is a lovely young down-to-earth man. (A big thankyou to Marc from AAA Entertainment for making the interview possible!) Be sure to check out his tour dates under our interview.

Congratulations Adam on your new single In My Dreams which was the most played song added to Aussie radio after its release. I bet you’re pinching yourself being signed to Universal Music as well as having among released after being a contestant on The Voice?

Thank you. Yes the track has been doing great so stoked! {Laughs} Well yeah… I`ve been working on my music for a few years now and I’ve had my share of hard times. So to be in this position is amazing!

Speaking of your time on The Voice, I love this quote of yours, “What appealed to me about Keith was that I was brought up with his music. He was a singer/songwriter who played acoustic guitar. He’s really down to earth and a great storyteller.” I love the fact you went on the show with the intention of continuing being a songwriter! Do you think The Voice was a building block to get discovered by Australia to pursue your singer/songwriter dreams?

Definitely! I have been working on my music for a few years now and I had been doing fairly well. Playing the local pub scene, touring with my EP and working on my YouTube channel. It was obvious though that one of the biggest challenges you face in a music career is being heard. So when I saw The Voice, I saw the opportunity of a lifetime. Be heard by the nation! I didn’t know how it was going to turn out or what the show would even be like. I just decided that if I entered and did everything I could to show who I was an artist. Then hopefully I could be heard.

What was it like being mentored by Keith?

Keith is an incredible musician. Both in his own genre and in every other genre you can think of. He has a seemingly infinite amount of knowledge and experience when it comes to music and a career in music. So to sit there and be able to learn from him was just amazing.

At first you were against going on The Voice, but with family encouragement you changed your mind?

You hear all the ‘horror stories’ of reality TV and I was worried I might end up in one of them. There were a few factors I had considered. One was that Universal were the ones partnered with the show. This was a big point of difference for me, as a lot of my favourite artists are signed with Universal and they are a great label. My family also gave me the encouragement I needed to take the chance….Which I’m glad they did. {smiles} Because fortunately entering The Voice was one of the most life changing and positive experiences I could ever have.

I’m also impressed with the fact you love the Beatles and you write poems (because I did exactly the something when I was around your age)! Are you a Lennon or McCartney fan?

{laughs} That’s a really tough question! I really think they are at their best together…There’s just a magic that happens. But I would have to go with Lennon as he was the first who inspired my love of guitar. {Jacqui: Great answer Adam!}

Do your most of your poems turn into songs?

Sometimes…I tend to write lyrics in a different way to how I write poems. Different mindset. Poems can be more internal or abstract and use more evocative language I suppose. Whereas in music, although it can still be all those things. It’s usually more straight forward.

How did you meet Evermore’s Jon Hume to produce In My Dreams?

After Signing to Universal I began working on my originals. I’ve always had a love for big sounding spacious recordings including The Verve Coldplay, The Frey and I really felt that was the direction I wanted to go in with my new tracks. Obviously no-one knows more about that epic soundscape product - http://www.gigsninterviews.com

The inevitable aftermath of a reality television singing competition is a bunch of artists disappearing in the blink of an eye as they desperately try to revive the remains of their career. These people are undoubtedly talented, but do not always possess the ‘star quality’ or ‘x-factor’ required to truly be successful in the music industry. Adam Martin is a rare exception.

Martin and support act Fatai Veamatahau were contestants on the recently wrapped first series of The Voice Australia. Both contestants made it through several rounds of the competition, and despite being the support act for the evening, Veamatahau ironically placed higher in the competition than Martin.

Now without the guidance of their coaches Keith Urban and Seal, Martin and Veamatahau are left to go at it alone.

Tonight’s performance was held in the intimate venue Spensers Live in West Melbourne, where punters were divided between sitting at tables and standing.

The crowd was 90% girls plus a table of friends including fourth place Voice getter Sarah De Bono who was impossible to miss with her flame red hair.

Arriving at the venue for Veamatahau’s final songs, Veamatahau had the crowd intently watching as she wowed them with her impeccable vocals. The structure of The Voice makes it hard to determine exactly where a contestant places, but Veamatahau was the second last standing member of ‘Team Seal’, only to be beaten by eventual winner Karise Eden. The 16 year old (!) showed a maturity far beyond her years in not only her singing, but also through her calm interaction with the crowd. Her final track of the night was accompanied by a saxophonist, her brother on bass, and included rap and beat boxes parts performed by Veamatahau as she played guitar.

After a short break, Martin and his all male band appeared to his fans, who proceeded to call out suggestive comments and squeal uncontrollably throughout the entire set. The 24 year old diverted his eyes around the room, making eye contact with every one of his loving admirers or “comrades” as he affectionately calls them.

Martin’s stylistic voice can most closely be likened to softer version of Paolo Nutini. His set was a mix of original songs, mostly about love and despair, and several covers including those released as part of The Voice. The crowd were at their happiest when Martin began to play The Black Key’s “Lonely Boy”, but the lyrics only seemed laughable considering the hoards of girls throwing himself at the singer. Covers of Timbaland’s “Apologise” and the Dire Strait’s “Romeo and Juliet” were also greeted with near deafening screams.

Original songs such as “Never Know” and “Bethany” prove Martin is capable of more than covers. He performs confidently and professionally, which is expected after being exposed to live television audiences of over two million viewers.

Fans could not get enough and Martin was called back for an encore. He began with a solo performance of a new track about a recent heartbreak, followed by another cover, this time of the Coldplay track “The Scientist”.

After the set, Martin and Veamatahau came out to meet fans and spent time taking photographs and writing personal messages on complimentary EPs and posters.

If there really is life after The Voice, Adam Martin and Fatai Veamatahau are well on the right track. - THE AU REVIEW

The inevitable aftermath of a reality television singing competition is a bunch of artists disappearing in the blink of an eye as they desperately try to revive the remains of their career. These people are undoubtedly talented, but do not always possess the ‘star quality’ or ‘x-factor’ required to truly be successful in the music industry. Adam Martin is a rare exception.

Martin and support act Fatai Veamatahau were contestants on the recently wrapped first series of The Voice Australia. Both contestants made it through several rounds of the competition, and despite being the support act for the evening, Veamatahau ironically placed higher in the competition than Martin.

Now without the guidance of their coaches Keith Urban and Seal, Martin and Veamatahau are left to go at it alone.

Tonight’s performance was held in the intimate venue Spensers Live in West Melbourne, where punters were divided between sitting at tables and standing.

The crowd was 90% girls plus a table of friends including fourth place Voice getter Sarah De Bono who was impossible to miss with her flame red hair.

Arriving at the venue for Veamatahau’s final songs, Veamatahau had the crowd intently watching as she wowed them with her impeccable vocals. The structure of The Voice makes it hard to determine exactly where a contestant places, but Veamatahau was the second last standing member of ‘Team Seal’, only to be beaten by eventual winner Karise Eden. The 16 year old (!) showed a maturity far beyond her years in not only her singing, but also through her calm interaction with the crowd. Her final track of the night was accompanied by a saxophonist, her brother on bass, and included rap and beat boxes parts performed by Veamatahau as she played guitar.

After a short break, Martin and his all male band appeared to his fans, who proceeded to call out suggestive comments and squeal uncontrollably throughout the entire set. The 24 year old diverted his eyes around the room, making eye contact with every one of his loving admirers or “comrades” as he affectionately calls them.

Martin’s stylistic voice can most closely be likened to softer version of Paolo Nutini. His set was a mix of original songs, mostly about love and despair, and several covers including those released as part of The Voice. The crowd were at their happiest when Martin began to play The Black Key’s “Lonely Boy”, but the lyrics only seemed laughable considering the hoards of girls throwing himself at the singer. Covers of Timbaland’s “Apologise” and the Dire Strait’s “Romeo and Juliet” were also greeted with near deafening screams.

Original songs such as “Never Know” and “Bethany” prove Martin is capable of more than covers. He performs confidently and professionally, which is expected after being exposed to live television audiences of over two million viewers.

Fans could not get enough and Martin was called back for an encore. He began with a solo performance of a new track about a recent heartbreak, followed by another cover, this time of the Coldplay track “The Scientist”.

After the set, Martin and Veamatahau came out to meet fans and spent time taking photographs and writing personal messages on complimentary EPs and posters.

If there really is life after The Voice, Adam Martin and Fatai Veamatahau are well on the right track. - THE AU REVIEW