01. Why did you start in this business we call show?
to give something back to the medium i take so much from. i’ve always had a strong emotional connection to music so this would be the best way to carry on that connection to someone else.
02. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
passion. seeing people passionate about the things they love, the things that changed them. it gets me so excited to hear someone tell me about their favourite album or the importance of a person in their life or a film they watched as a child. conversely, if someone is passionate about backward, bigoted things it can inspire me to tell them to reconsider or fuck off.
03. What is your favourite swear word?
i love swearing. it’s totally down to context. a perfectly chosen swear word can make you feel so much better. i do find fuck and its variations work in many situations though. i must say ‘for fuck’s sake’ several times a day.
04. What would have been the worst possible day for you to sleep through the alarm?
i don’t tend to use an alarm, so any day i’ve set one since its usually only for important things like first days in new jobs or train journeys or arduous recording sessions.
05. Presley or Costello?
costello all the way.
06. What was the one gig (yours or someone else’s) that made time still for you?
low at the barbican in 2011. i just couldn’t believe what i was witnessing. it was like the entire universe suddenly made sense, like everything existed purely to make this moment happen. most wonderful gig of my life. locally it would be the first time i saw r. dyer at the pipeline, i wasn’t prepared to hear music on such a relatable and emotional level on a school night and i spent the whole show trying not to cry.
07. What sound or noise do you love?
my girlfriends voice after a hard day. birds singing in the country. nina simone when she’s angry. guitars playing 3rds apart. the sound of my rats bumbling around their cage. a tape loop my friend amy made of a church choir. my life is filled with wonderful sounds. the opening notes of everything in its right place and my band tuning up.
08. It’s 3am. The promoter stole all the money. Two people turned up to the gig. Your name is spelled wrong on the poster. It’s raining. What makes you get up tomorrow and do it all over again?
i’m pretty sure i’ve experienced all of those things at least once. every gig is just a tiny fragment of your art and doesn’t define you. there will be more shows and they will be better. go get em, tiger.
09. Where do all the odd socks go?
they’re still out there. lost and abandoned. in our darkest moments, we feel their eyes on our backs.
10. What will it say on your tombstone?
“martyn is dead. one day you will be too”
M. Butterfly’s new album Live @ The Evening Star available via Bandcamp.
Plugged In Brighton 