24/7 VALENCIA: Please tell us something about your upbringing and musical background and influences…
John Martínez: First times leave a lasting impression. My mum’s Julio Iglesias records, singing in French and my dad’s obsession with the “Concierto de Aranjuez”. Seeing Morrissey on the 2nd date of his first solo tour in 1991 at Paris’ Élysée Montmartre, with his under-rehearsed “gang” of rockabillies. You could NOT exit the venue unimpressed. Moz’s presence is magnetic. The theatricality of it all, his sense of space, the inbetween banter. The live interaction and ad-libs are, usually, always unique.
How does living and working in Valencia compare to Birmingham and Paris? The sunshine, the blue sky and the sea nearby make a big difference. What I’m going to say seems like taken out of one of those tourist’s guides but Valencia is a small and accessible city. So you can explore its main points of interest on foot or by public transport which I, personally, appreciate. Lodging has rocketed though. Paris is a museum, far too expensive and most Parisians are rude, to say the least. I was born in Birmingham but I didn’t live there long, I enjoyed my years in London in the nineties though. I’ll never get bored of a good pub.
Could you tell us about the concept of your new album, ‘Le Fan Club de John Martínez’? The title is a bit tongue in cheek really, as was the title of the 1st record of my last project (“Songs for Mediocre Men vol. 1” by Le Garçon Rêvé). My voice and music contain a certain melancholy, whether I like or not, so you have to put some irony and humour in there. I mean, I love Leonard Cohen & Radiohead’s work but you won’t find me listening to “Hail to the Thief” or “New Skin For The Old Ceremony” on a Saturday night. Going back to the genesis of the record, I had assembled a couple of songs that seemed to form a whole. I recorded them quite quickly in a studio (Tablada25) in Madrid. I wanted to keep the live, lo-fi, raw around the edges sound of my initial demos.
Please take us through each track of your new album…
Betty Blue: Substance use disorder
Last Exit from the Whoredom: Orwell’s Down & Out in Paris and London.
Born & Bred: The victim’s mindset.
My Little Symphony: Song of escape.
Memo for Gianluca: To Palermo.
And your Eyes Go Sad: Me vs mirror.
Your Truly: To seek beauty.
Song for Tim: For my son.
Nostalgia is lethargic: Procrastination in the city.
La Fe: For my dad.
Can we see you play live in Valencia in the coming months? Maybe next year. There’ll be a gig or two in Madrid before the end of the year but I haven’t settled if I want to play solo or get a band together. But also, at the moment, my priority is writing and recording. I have another 8 songs ready to go, recorded & mixed.
How do you find the music scene in Valencia these days? To be honest, I’m not the most keen follower these days. Apart from the multi-active Antonio J. Iglesias, who I admire for his resilience, no one’s grabbed my attention. But I reckon the ‘Pulso Pub’ or ‘Tulsa’ (both in Benimaclet) are places where you should find compelling live acts.
Interview by ‘24/7 Valencia’ team
Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’
LINKS:
Le Fan Club de John Martínez | Facebook
John (@jmartineztreacy) • Fotos y videos de Instagram
https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/album/6WBaMyIgzjmgyKqPvUgn6w
https://johnmartinez1.bandcamp.com/album/le-fan-club-de-john-martinez
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