Francisco Martin is one of the most promising young artists on the music scene today. He may have made his way into the national spotlight by way of American Idol - but there’s no question he would have made his way there by now anyway thanks to his incredible voice, sun-lit hooks, sweet melodies, and signature mix of classic and modern styles.
Francisco already made waves this year with the release of “BITTERSWEET” and “Swollen,” which now has more than 5 million streams on Spotify. Now, fresh off his first-ever national tour which saw packed crowds and lines down the street on every stop, Martin is celebrating the release of his most recent single “IF U NEED ME” and gearing up for a busy 2022. If the last two years are any indication, Francisco Martin is surely a major star on the rise that we’ll be hearing more about next year.
We spoke with Martin about his recent tour, how he would describe his music, and what he finds to be the most rewarding and challenging aspects of songwriting. Read on below!
Francisco, congratulations on all of your recent success. You’re currently in the middle of your first national tour of the US. What has the experience been like?
Thanks so much. It’s been a helluva ride so far. Lots of ups and downs, but I’m just so grateful to be out on the road. Meeting the fans and hearing them sing my songs back to me is insane. I never thought I’d be doing something like this when I was in college a couple years back.
What was it like to transition from a huge television audience to an intimate, face-to-face crowd?
Well, my transition was strange because my television experience was mainly from my house in isolation. Then I had almost a year and a half after the show where we were still in some form of shut down. So it took a while before I was able to have the opportunity to connect with my fans in person, and honestly, it was amazing to realize they really exist. Haha.
Your music has such a timeless quality to it. Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
Thank you, that’s really incredible to hear. What a compliment. I love artists like John Mayer, James Bay, Chris Martin, The National, Patrick Droney, Taylor Swift and so on.
How would you describe your music to the uninitiated?
I guess I’d say it’s a mix between pop and alternative. It's a sweet balance of something you’ve heard before and something that seems new.
If you could collaborate with any artist in the world, who would it be and why?
FM: John Mayer. He’s incredible. I don’t even think I need to explain why because he’s John Mayer!
What comes first for you - the music or the lyrics?
Usually I start with a chord progression or a guitar riff. Once I have something I can really feel I’ll dive in on what the song is going to be about.
What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of songwriting? What about the most challenging?
The most rewarding aspect is definitely hearing a crowd full of people singing back your lyrics. That’s when you realize you wrote something that actually means something to someone. The most challenging part would just be finding that magic in the song - what am I trying to say? How am I trying to make people feel? What do I feel right now? And, how do I want it to sound? Fusing those questions together is absolutely challenging, but when it works, it feels magical.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
If you would have asked me two months ago I would have said this tour! The year’s coming to an end so maybe it’s now about finishing up all of this music so we can get these new songs out there. Now, if you were asking me about next year I’d definitely say touring. I told my team to keep me on the road and I meant it.
