End of 2020 Updates. Number One position for ‘When We Get Through This’ on I Tunes and Amazon Songwriter Chart’s, Spirit Of Phil Ochs Award, Patreon and Pop Master!
Despite the immense difficulties of having a years worth of touring cancelled Martyn was very productive in the 2020. Having released the EP ‘When We Get Through This’ the song topped both the ‘I Tunes’ and ‘Amazon’ Singer-Songwriter Charts in the UK. He performed a number of online concerts on his facebook page and did manage to play 4 social distanced shows in between lockdowns. One was outdoors in Canterbury in October! He wrote songs and recorded demo’s in his studio. There was also a Christmas charity release of a new take on ‘Good King Wenceslas’ renamed ‘Good Queen Wenceslas’. This was a co wrote with Martin Wroe.
Some of those new songs demo’s have been posted on his new Patreon site which has been a lifeline of financial support during these tough days. Martyn enjoyed going through the vaults of archive material that he has kept through they years and a lot of that has been posted on Patreon too. He posts there every week and has enjoyed the discipline of having to be constantly creative. There is now a great deal of exclusive content up there including tuitional videos on how to play Cardiff Bay and Dic Penderyn, his 60th Birthday online concert, original demos, new song demos, a never heard before version of Swansea with the London Symphony Orchestra and much more. There is also a rumour that a new album is in the works!
A lovely moment came in October when Martyn was awarded the 2020 Phil Ochs award by the ‘A Still Small Voice For You’ organisation. The award is given each year to someone in recognition of music and activism for social and political justice in the spirit of Phil Ochs.
And to top it all, on Dec 23rd Martyn was the subject of a question on BBC Radio 2’s Pop Master. An 8 pointer no less in the Grand Master semi final. ‘Who had a top fort hit in 1992 with the song Dolphins Make Me Cry?’. The contestant didn’t know but many of you guys did!