Lee Martin: Kiwi singer-songwriter talks musical development, upcoming album 'Marlene'

Christchurch-based singer-songwriter Lee Martin is yet another example of the incredible talent produced in New Zealand.  She’s a highly acclaimed musician, both here and around the world, with multiple awards, millions of streams, and sold-out performances under her belt.  And soon Martin will be releasing her fourth album, Marlene, coming out mid-July.   “I think this is probably my best work yet,” she told Mike Hosking.  “I was listening to some of my old songs last night, and I’m like, there’s a massive change and a massive shift – so yeah, I am very proud of it.”  The shift is not only sonic, but stems from a change in Martin’s own mindset when it comes to the creation of her art.   “I think I’m being a little bit more true to my own sound,” she explained.  “I’m less shaped by producers or external factors – I'm kind of just doing what I really want to do.”   In the past, Martin admits to chasing approval when it comes to her sound.  “I was so, you know, desperate for, I don’t know, some kind of success.”  But as she’s grown both as a person and an artist, she’s stopped caring quite so much about if others think she’s going down the right path.  “I just want to put out my music, and I just want it to be what it is,” she told Hosking.  “I don’t want to just shape and form towards, you know, to what other people are expecting.”   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.