There’s life, there’s death, and then there’s everything in between. Martin Luke Brown turns his attention to the beautiful middle ground on his third solo studio album, life & death etc, set for release via Bright Antenna Records on September 18th.
The new album signals a bold new chapter in Brown’s creative rebirth following his departure from the major label world. Once again, Martin returns to working with childhood best friend and longtime collaborator, Grammy award winner, Matt Zara (Teddy Swims, Niall Horan, Oliva Dean, Lola Young). Staying true to their partnership, the pair work together with instinct, chemistry and freedom, which is little more than “hanging out, playing music and whatever happens, happens.”

At its core, life & death etc is inspired by music made by people, for people. The songs are intended not simply to impress, but to resonate. “Its service orientated,” Martin says. “I want to make music that serves people in some way.” That emotional honesty pulses through every corner of the record.

The new music sees Martin expand on his signature indie-soul palette into richer and stronger territory, with janky yet tender soundscapes, subtle psych textures and cracked-out country, richly influenced by 60s and 70s classics.

Lyrically, the music lands somewhere between cosmic, hyper existential territory and the everyday mundane. The place where sad meets silly - the person cracking jokes at a funeral. “It feels innately human to seamlessly straddle the line between grief and joy”.