"Irish singer songwriter Tom Martin has carved out a musical niche perhaps best described as "Celtic Fusion" in that he seems to effortlessly infuse whatever genre he tackles with the elusive but unmistakable muse that is found only among the musicians, mystics and poets of Ireland."

A consummate performer who has honed his craft for more than forty years, in venues ranging from bars to concert halls and festival stages, Tom's songwriting and musical arrangements have been compared to Paul Simon, John Prine, Bob Dylan, and Ry Cooder. He counts all of these luminaries among his musical influences, along with the Rolling Stones, Bert Jansch, Chuck Berry, Hank Williams, Robert Johnson, Doc Watson, and the traditional music of his native Ireland. But the songs, the style and the delivery are very much his own.

In Tom's own words: "I draw from the traditional canon as well as from roots and rock'n'roll, using them like colours to paint pictures of life experiences and my own internal landscapes."

Links:

tommartinmusic.com
tommartinuk.bandcamp.com

Press:

"Tom Martin...Widely regarded as one of the finest guitarists to come out of Ireland, but primarily a brilliant songwriter of longstanding cult status...Easy to listen to, hard to define with a melodic touch of Paul Simon and lyrical insight of a John Prine, but with a sound and a songwriting skill that is undeniably his own" ~ Belfast Telegraph

"Tom is a consummate musician and composer who hails originally from Ireland. Decades of performing have honed his skills on guitars (both acoustic and electric) as well as mandolin and harmonica. Known both for his exquisite finger-picking and slide guitar skills, Tom also has a vast repository of musical knowledge stretching from his Celtic roots and traditional music right through the back catalogs of some of the giants of 20th Century Folk and Rock and beyond. Equal to that is his prodigious output of original songs, each one allying songwriting finesse with passion and eye-opening truth." ~ (www.worldmusic.co.uk)

"The highly experienced and accomplished Tom Martin is one of the region's finest exponents of the kind of high quality songwriting that, for want of a more suitable title, is often called folk...Martin's range is much greater than that label might suggest, encompassing anything from country, blues, Celtic, soul or even Latin, according to the needs of each particular song. Comparisons with the likes of Paul Simon and Ry Cooder will give an impression of strong, enjoyable melodies set against lyrics of sensitivity and power: a combination that's both enjoyable and moving." ~ (Birmingham Metro)