Martin Sexton

Martin Sexton emerged as one of the most discussed newcomers in the acoustic “new folk” movement. As a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, he possesses an extraordinary vocal range that he deploys with striking impact both on record and onstage. His approach stands apart from most current singer-songwriters by delivering a genuinely soulful delivery that draws together the strongest traits of Van Morrison, Al Green, Aaron Neville, and Otis Redding.

Raised in a household of fourteen children, Sexton taught himself guitar and vocals. He assembled his first rock & roll band while still in eighth grade. During high school he cycled through numerous garage groups that covered material by the Beatles, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin. In 1988 he left his native Syracuse, New York, and the rock lifestyle behind, traveling to Boston after hearing about its thriving coffeehouse circuit. Even though the city’s scene was fiercely competitive and offered far more performers than venues, Sexton advanced rapidly, performing his distinctive soul-infused folk songs at open-mike nights and on street corners beginning in 1989.

He issued his debut recording, the cassette-only In the Journey, in 1991. Much of the material on that release and on his 1996 Eastern Front Records debut Black Sheep draws directly from his experiences traveling the road. Through relentless touring and live performances, he sold 15,000 copies of the cassette edition. In 1994 the National Academy of Songwriters named him Artist of the Year. By 1996 he was appearing on bills alongside Art Garfunkel, Jackson Browne, and John Hiatt. Shortly afterward he signed with Atlantic Records, which released The American in 1998 and Wonder Bar in 2000. Continued road work helped him develop a substantial national audience.

Following Wonder Bar, Sexton ended his association with Atlantic and founded the independent Kitchen Table Records to gain more artistic control. The label’s inaugural release was the 2001 live album Live Wide Open. Two years later came the holiday collection Camp Holiday. After the expansive studio effort Seeds appeared in 2007, Sexton returned to touring and captured his solo acoustic performances on the 2008 album Solo. He explored topical and political subjects on 2010’s Sugarcoating and continued that direction with the 2012 EP Fall Like Rain. Late December 2014 brought misfortune when fire destroyed his home in Saranac Lake, upstate New York; he and his family escaped safely. Refusing to be deterred, Sexton issued the solo album Mixtape of the Open Road in February 2015 and resumed extensive touring.