Dan Martin is a traveling singer-songwriter who originally hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The earthy folk singer credits the likes of Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt as his influences and inspiration, and you can hear that same kind of vibe woven throughout Martin’s music.
Martin has traveled from coast to coast as well as overseas in his musical career, from Oklahoma staples such as The Blue Door, Cain’s Ballroom and The Mercury Lounge, to The White Water Tavern in Little Rock, the Starlight Theater in Terlingua, the Adobe Bar in Taos and the Evening Muse in Charlotte, just to name a few. In 2017 Martin joined Carter Sampson in a tour of the Netherlands, has played the highly popular Red Dirt/Texas Country music festival Mile 0 Fest in Key West, and has become a familiar face at the rootsy Woody Guthrie Fest in Okemah, OK. He has opened up for the likes of Mandolin Orange and Jonathan Byrd among others.
While Martin doesn’t necessarily explore a particular theme in his music, he does have a particular sound and style that is raw, genuine and down to earth in a way that pays homage to the roots of both himself and the spirit of Oklahoma music. He is a storyteller, weaving his own personal touch of poetry and truth through stories and lyrics that remain straightforward and relatable, making it all look so effortless as he does so. Martin doesn’t dress anything up for the glamour and glitz, he offers it all up as real, undisguised and homegrown as he himself is. As honest and full of spirit as the red dirt of Oklahoma.
“I just try to reel in the fish that is currently biting and hope my line doesn’t snap. Some fish get released. Some fish get taken to the weigh-in. Some fish get away to be caught another day by myself or another fisher of songs,” says Martin of his songwriting style.
Martin currently has two albums out, Hoka Hey was released in 2015 and his self-titled album Dan Martin came out in 2018. A new record is currently in the works.