The enigmatic Martika has announced her debut single How Did I Get Here, a thoughtful, soulful track that explores the difficulties of chasing dreams, launching at The Toff in Town on Thursday 11 April.
How Did I Get Here is a mellow, contemplative track, with an undeniable groove and eclectic vocals. The chorus refrain, “How did I get here? Am I coming, or going?” is sung so earnestly; it is impossible to ignore the pleading in Martika’s voice. Gentle yet driving percussion percolates underneath a constant, melodic bass line, as organ and synthesisers swirl together with unexpected and satisfying harmony. Fans of Aurora and Massive Attack will love Martika’s incisive style.
How Did I Get Here tackles the complexities of turning a passion into a career, as Martika explains, “This song explores the emotional journey of an artist; that lost feeling of being at a crossroads in life. I was unsure of which way to go. I found myself reflecting on my life and where I was, thinking that music should have brought me success at this point – and was it all worth it? It was then the decision of whether to keep on walking down the hard road, striving to make my passion a career, or to take the easy road and find stability. This song has helped me vent the frustration of what a struggling artist goes through, and has helped me find the strength to carry on.”
Martika is a natural-born performer; first discovering her passion for singing as a young child, dancing around the house to Disney soundtracks. Highly disciplined and passionate about performing, she spent most weeknights during childhood at singing lessons, piano lessons, dance classes spanning a wide variety of genres – and she even completed a degree in musical theatre upon finishing high school. Since her move to Melbourne from her country home town, Martika began gigging professionally and working alongside local label True Music (Shelley Segal, MAYA) and producer/composer Rob Upward. She spends her days in the studio, writing and growing creatively as a songwriter and artist. With so much talent to share, Martika is surely one new artist to watch.
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