Jon Martin and Lovers captures the essence of Bittersweet Optimism. Sometimes it sounds like Alt-Americana or Chamber Pop. Sometimes it sounds like an orchestra or a small city constructed from the sounds of garbage in the tracks of a Montreal escalator. Sometimes it sounds like the dad of a small child sitting at the piano at 2:00 AM on a weekday, those being the only unscathed hours of the day. Lyrics are always important. Either way, there is always hope.
An artist, songwriter, and producer, Jon's most recent self-produced album, “This Could Be Our Year,” was named one of the “10 Best Local Releases of 2022” by the Edmonton Journal. Recorded in Canada and remotely with musicians from seven different countries around the world, the album was written, produced, and mixed Jon Martin, with the exception of the lead single, “Simple Things,” which was mixed by 8-time Grammy-winning engineer Michael Brauer (Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Grizzly Bear). The album was jury selected and included the Edmonton Public Library's Capital City Records collection in 2024.
He has been performing regionally, solo, and with his band Jon Martin and Lovers, while working furiously on a suite of upcoming releases and all of the details that go along with that.
Originally from southern Alberta, Jon has performed extensively across Western Canada. He has released 6 full-length albums under various monikers, achieving various levels of success, including airplay on CBC Radio One. While earning his Masters's and Bachelor degrees in music, he operated a recording studio in Lethbridge, producing records for other artists, before relocating to Edmonton in early 2021.
Jon continues to produce and mix records from his studio and pursue the international, collaborative approach to record-making, first utilized on 2022's “This Could Be Our Year.” The new album Late September Garden Party will be released late-summer 2024.
An artist, songwriter, and producer, Jon's most recent self-produced album, “This Could Be Our Year,” was named one of the “10 Best Local Releases of 2022” by the Edmonton Journal. Recorded in Canada and remotely with musicians from seven different countries around the world, the album was written, produced, and mixed Jon Martin, with the exception of the lead single, “Simple Things,” which was mixed by 8-time Grammy-winning engineer Michael Brauer (Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Grizzly Bear). The album was jury selected and included the Edmonton Public Library's Capital City Records collection in 2024.
He has been performing regionally, solo, and with his band Jon Martin and Lovers, while working furiously on a suite of upcoming releases and all of the details that go along with that.
Originally from southern Alberta, Jon has performed extensively across Western Canada. He has released 6 full-length albums under various monikers, achieving various levels of success, including airplay on CBC Radio One. While earning his Masters's and Bachelor degrees in music, he operated a recording studio in Lethbridge, producing records for other artists, before relocating to Edmonton in early 2021.
Jon continues to produce and mix records from his studio and pursue the international, collaborative approach to record-making, first utilized on 2022's “This Could Be Our Year.” The new album Late September Garden Party will be released late-summer 2024.
From Ear to the Ground:
"Jon Martin – “A new drug”
-The piano on this song caught my attention right away, but truth be told the whole package is really good. Martin’s voice pulls it together nicely. The balance feels like the best of what I like about Dawes. The lyrics are – how shall I say – more relatable than I am willing to write about publicly. The emotional connection that I immediately feel listening to this is remarkable. If you’re a fan of songs that serve as a cathartic message while also ripping your heart out of your chest so you can watch it beat on the table… then give this one a spin. For fans of rock-leaning Americana that has excellent lyrics."
https://www.eartothegroundmusic.co/2022/06/03/three-outstanding-americana-tunes-in-the-alt-country-vein-sure-to-impress-listeners/