INTERVIEW: IN CONVERSATION WITH BRYAN MARTIN
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
“What makes me tick?” quipped Bryan Martin. “Well, people – thousands of people are trying to figure me out”.
Bryan Martin is an ‘old-soul’ country singer songwriter from Louisiana in the United States of America. His songs are narrative gems, that don’t just tell stories, the songs relate gritty and authentic knowledge from his lived experience. Bryan Martin has the backstory and history that tells of working-class struggle: his origins as an Indigenous Cherokee, to his time working on the oil fields in Louisiana where he was a “roughneck” on the rigs, to riding bulls in rodeos, the impact of a major car accident and singing at local festivals and fairs.
“It’s true. I have had an interesting life. But in the end, I want people to come along and have a real good time at my concerts,” stated Bryan Martin. “I love playing in Australia. The crowds are the best. It really means something to me to hear them sing my songs with me. Those shows in 2024 were crazy – I came straight outta rehab and then I was singing my songs in front of 45,000 people. It was humbling. And special. I’m just glad to be going on the road in Australia. I’m always thankful for the fans”.
Bryan Martin lives the stories he writes he is the ‘Cowboy In The Indian’. Those real-life emotions and experiences expressed in song resonate with audiences because the two are one and the same.
“Songwriting has always just been a hobby, a passion,” said Bryan Martin who is celebrating the success of his latest album ‘Years In The Making’ and his newest single ‘Tug O’War’. His albums like 2019’s ‘If It Was Easy’, 2022’s ‘Self Inflicted Scars’ and 2023’s ‘Poets & Old Souls’ reveal a real songwriter and musician who has survived darkness and emerged with narratives that speak to the heart.
“I live with the songs and they are part of me,” explained Bryan Martin. “I am just a songwriter at heart. Lyrics are everything to me, I bleed in the moment, you know. I only write about real experiences, things I know. The struggle out there with life is real. And let’s face it 90% of people out there are struggling with something. Country music just gets straight to it. I carry my scars with me and my songs and country music help me get close to the pin of truth”.
“My mother taught me a lot about singing and finding my own voice,” said Bryan Martin. “She also taught me a wide range of music styles from traditional, outlaw, country gospel, southern rock and what I learned in church. I would say it takes all of them to communicate the feelings and emotions that I’ve been through in my life. You can’t have the good without the bad”.
“The car accident was the turning point for me,” remarked Bryan Martin. “I started songwriting for fun, but then I got serious with it. Now I’m doing what I love for a living. Out of darkness came songs. I just tell it like it is. And it was finding the beauty in that struggle and my friends and family helped me see it. The road hasn’t always been straight or without holes”.
“I am a lot more family orientated these days,” he extolled. “I am so excited to be with Australian country music fans, my fans, and I want to play them new songs and show them another album is on the way. I just want everyone to come along and play music and have a good time. Let’s lift our spirits”.
This April, Bryan Martin will join Chris Young for a run of powerhouse shows as he steps into the spotlight on his own terms. He’ll bring his raw voice and unmistakable lyricism that has dominated country radio and charts to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and Meatstock at Toowoomba and Gippsland. Ride on….
Bryan Martin brings his ‘We Ride Down Under Tour’. The dates are below:
10 April 10 2026 - Meatstock Toowoomba - Toowoomba, QLD
14 April 14 2026 - The Brightside Outdoors - Brisbane, QLD
15 April 15 2026 - Oxford Art Factory - Sydney, NSW
16 April 16 2026 - The Espy, Gershwin Room - Melbourne, VIC
17 April 17 2026 - Meatstock Gippsland – Gippsland, VIC
