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Music

Premiere: Martha - “The Historian”

Mixing the political with the emotional, heavy-duty feels with pure pop melodies, Martha are the quintessence of sentimental anarchism.
Emma Garland
London, GB

Martha come from a village in Durham called "Pity Me" (no, really), which is a great way to describe the exact opposite of Martha's philosophy.

Influenced by anarchy, veganism, and Irn Bru, their debut LP Courting Strong (which came out on Fortuna Pop!) is one of the best indie pop records of last year. It's a powerful statement of self-affirmation wrapped up in ten perfect pop songs, which are so catchy it can sometimes be easy to miss that they deal largely with gender identity and sexuality as well as getting pissed up in the street. In many ways, Irn Bru is the perfect metaphor for Martha's music: sugary, tough, and a faultless hangover cure (especially if your hangover is of the emotional sort).

Martha are just about to start work on their second album, but they’re not letting you go thirsty in the meantime. We’re premiering their new track “The Historian” above. It's taken from a forthcoming split 7” with California's Benny The Jet Rodriguez and it's the kind of music that makes you glad to be alive. Mixing the political with the emotional, heavy-duty feels with pure pop melodies, Martha are the quintessence of sentimental anarchism.

Have a listen, neck a carbonated beverage, love yourself.

Martha/ Benny The Jet Rodriguez split 7" is out on May 8 via Drunken Sailor Records and the first 100 come on fancy blue vinyl.

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