EXCLUSIVE: Joe Martin Talks New Single ‘Heartbreak Cult’

British singer/songwriter Joe Martin is one of the most revered songwriters in the country and has worked with a number of top talents including Two Ways Home, and with the release of his stellar new single ‘Heartbreak Cult’ which is the first of a series of new tracks to be shared in the coming months, he is looking to break out and become a huge solo star.

Here we chat exclusively to Joe Martin to discuss the new single in greater depth:

Your new single dropped on July 31st, how excited are you for fans to hear the track?
Very, very, very extremely excited! I wrote this song a couple of years ago and it goes down really well at gigs, so I’ve wanted to release it for ages!

What was the main inspiration behind the lyrical story?
When you see people who are dealing with a breakup, sometimes you can see that they’re trying to overcompensate for their sadness by showing the world (and particularly their ex) how “fine” they are. But, behind closed doors, they’re comfort eating and crying into their wine. Everyone does this. The longer people suppress their heartbreak the more it bubbles up inside and unleashes itself in irrational actions. I started with the line “She turned my vinyl into ashtrays, but she don’t even smoke”. I thought it was a cool, visual lyric and when I came up with the concept of a ‘Heartbreak Cult’ everything fell into place.

What was the overall writing and recording experience like for this release?
The image of ‘Heartbreak Cult’ was so strong that the song came to me really quickly, it felt like 20 minutes start to finish, although when you’re in the songwriting zone time starts to feel different… I recorded at Limefield Studio near Manchester with the Chorlton Country Club earlier this year. The studio has a great vibe, and all the guys in the Chorlton Country Club instantly took the song to the next level!

What do you hope fans take away from the message of the song?
There’s plenty more fish in the sea if your partner dumps you don’t become a crazy person (or join a Heartbreak Cult)!

You’ve also shared the official music video, what’s the vibe of the clip?
It’s going to be #edgy! It’s a fly on the wall perspective of a girl dealing with the different emotional stages of a break-up. Just pacing around one room of her apartment with a candle-lit cultish vibe.

How does it feel to sharing new music during semi lockdown?
I’ve been unsure about it. I was meant to release the song at the start of lockdown and then postponed it because everything was crazy and it didn’t feel like the right time. But I’m excited to release it now, things look to be opening back up, and I need something to shoot for. I don’t want to be sat on the sidelines waiting for things to get back to normal. I feel you need to carry on with things the best you can.

How have you been keeping creative whilst in quarantine?
I built a fence in my garden, and it’s amazing! The most country looking fence you’ve ever seen! I had to saw the wood, sand it down and drill it together (using lockdown to level up my DIY skills). I wrote a couple of tunes too, which I’m looking forward to performing once I’m back gigging.

How are you approaching the promotion for this release with the current restrictions in place?
Normally I would be gigging a lot to promote a new single and that would help to get people excited. But now all the promotion has to be done online I’m glad that people have already heard the song at my live gigs and have been waiting for it for a while.

Do you have any plans to get out on the road when you’re able?
Yes, so keen to get back on the road. I’ve missed playing to a live crowd, it’s the main reason I do what I do.

Can we expect this single to act as a launchpad for a full-length album?
Maybe, maybe not… All I can say is ‘watch this space’.

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