Peter Martin really delves into the the depressing end of trying to be a musician in the modern cultural milieu on his song “Trying To Break A Band.” The old formula, or so many people thought and still think, is you play a bunch of shows however you can and someone discovers your music either at a show or these days by stumbling across your music randomly somehow or on a playlist. Then maybe you have the social skills or contacts to get an opening slot for a cool gig and that raises your profile some except it never really does. The opening lines of the song will hit some as crushingly hard in their summation of reality for most: “If a tree falls down and nobody hears it/Did it really sound like my music career?/I’m bleeding myself white paying or PR/And on top of that my laptop packed up/Intonation’s fucked on all of my guitars.” Because you can pay for PR to hopefully get someone who will pay attention to your music that might have an audience with the right kinds of people who crave what you’re giving. Maybe someone will pick up on your music on TikTok and you’ll go viral. But probably not. And with music journalism and blogs in the gutter/all but non-existent since its early 2010s peak and little or no incentive for people to champion your work it can be pretty dispiriting. Martin expresses this ennui perfectly in his delicate melodies and fragile guitar work. That sense of hitting your head against the wall of apathy and neglect for creative work that is a feature of our culture today. Yet the ability to articulate this mood and state of mind so vividly and poetically sure has to count for something and Martin’s warmth of tone is compelling and fans of Owen Ashworth and Sparklehorse will appreciate the emotional notes Martin strikes throughout the song. Listen to “Trying To Break A Band” on Spotify and follow Peter Martin on Instagram.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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