The fan favourite at Smith’s Alternative is roadtesting her new songs before she releases an album next year. Photos: Supplied.
From a small South Australian town wedged between the desert and the sea, singer-songwriter Jodi Martin has travelled across Australia and the world since she was a teenager. But she is yet to find a place that gives her the sense of trust and intimacy that she feels with her Canberra-based fans, or friends as they quickly become.
In the midst of a winter song-writing sabbatical with her notepad and her trusty guitar, Martin is on the road again, testing and picking out her “strongest” songs for her new album, stopping at the handpicked three destinations of her small tour: Melbourne, the South Coast and Canberra.
The 41-year-old artist wanted to perform her personal songs in front of her “beautiful little audience in Canberra”, with locals given the chance to hear songs only played in public once before.
“A lot of the people that come to my Canberra shows are long-term fans, friends, and music followers of mine who I feel a certain level of closeness and trust with,” she said.
“I wanted it to be a relaxing tour and Canberra is always super supportive and I wanted to show them my new songs.”
In small personal gigs across the country, Martin has shared her warm, painfully intimate indie-folk songs and Canberra fans can expect more of the same heartbreak and raw emotion in her new album, which is set to be released next year.
“All of my music is very personal and emotive, and I think my first album, Water and Wood, was one of my rawest, personal albums,” she said. “Judging on these new songs, I think the new album is heading that way too.”
Martin’s heartrending songs on her most recent album, Saltwater, plotted her challenging journey past the scars of tragedy and loss she has endured throughout her life. Her blindingly cheery tones also signify her battle of finding relief by letting go of the pain buried deep down inside of her and embracing the hope that things someday will get better.
“Part of the reason why I write music is so people can process life,” Martin said. “By listening to me sing about it and processing my emotions and pain, people who have been through similar things are helped to process their pain through my songs. I think it is always best to be open about how you are feeling, and that is what my songs are for, to help other people process their emotions.”
The Smith’s Alternative fan favourite will be playing old favourites from her past albums, as well as providing her fans with a taste of the new work she has written, punctuated with her humour between songs.
Jodi Martin is performing at Smith’s Alternative on Saturday 14 July 2018. Doors open 3:30 pm. Buy your tickets here.
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