Five minutes with Olivier Martin, the Aussie-Spanish artist combining spirituality and sound

Olivier Martin dials in from his sunny home in Vigo, Spain. We’re here to discuss the debut single of his new project, but the Australian-Spanish singer-songwriter is equally as keen to talk about meditation and spirituality — after all, they inform his musical philosophy as much as his personal one, and this sits at the forefront of “Perpetual”. For Martin, the acoustic pop-rock single is a return to selfhood after losing his way in an unsuccessful love. He tells me that the track gently sets him free with the reminder that someone can take all they want from him, but he will keep reshaping into an even better version of himself.

Using music as a means of finding himself has been a consistent theme in Martin’s life. He explains how a song called “Little Light in the Dark” from his teenage EP, Going Back To Australia, reignited his recently-revived passion for music and even found its way onto his debut album, due next year. But it isn’t only a special song for Martin — the artist recalls how it once saved a friend’s life, becoming a whisper of hope for himself (and others); hence the decision to bring it over to his new project.

As the name of the 2015 EP suggests, Martin draws from the world around him as much as his internal reflections. Having lived in Vigo, Melbourne and London, the twenty-six-year-old’s music is influenced by the contrasting experiences of these cities. From calm and sleepy Vigo to chaotic and loud Melbourne, Martin tries to capture it all with “Perpetual”. And as the interview wraps, he grins, mentioning he’s heading to the beach, chasing the same waves that can be heard in the debut single.

Congratulations on “Perpetual”! What was the writing process like for you, and what did you discover about yourself while creating it?

The experience of writing “Perpetual” was quite personal. It poured out of me, almost like I was channeling something that I needed to hear in order to move on, which is probably why it feels so honest. What I learned about myself was that I’d lost myself in a relationship with someone who couldn’t meet me halfway, and that I needed to find myself again. Recording it was very spontaneous. The song actually had to fight its way into the record at the very last minute, because every session was already locked in and I was running out of studio time, so the band and I just played it a couple of times and went straight into recording it. There wasn’t much overthinking, just capturing that first feeling while it was still fresh in me.

What has the campaign for “Perpetual” been like?

I recently realised that TikTok seems to be the running machine behind the music industry, so I’m learning how to create content specific to that platform. I’m not much into the easy TikTok content. There’s so much I could have filmed a year ago while I was in the studio, but I’m glad I didn’t, because I might have jumped on trends that didn’t align with me. This way, I’m giving myself time to find my truth and what kind of content I want to create.

What was it like working with Grammy-award winning producer and sound engineer Matt Lawrence at Miloco Studios?

Well, it all started at a beach house in northern Spain in the middle of winter. We’d wake up, go for a walk on the beach and then work on the songs all day. That’s also where we recorded the ocean waves you hear in the background of the track. We spent a week there, and then flew back to London to record. Matt’s been like a mentor to me. He took the raw edges and taught me how to have fun making a record while I was being pushed so far out of my comfort zone. I’d never been in the studio like that before, let alone with a band all at the same time. In the case of “Perpetual”, there was so little time to rehearse. It was very formative. That’s what I call it. I was quite nervous, but I guess that’s what made the whole thing very special.

You’ve lived in Vigo, London and Melbourne, and draw from both your Australian and Spanish roots. How have those places and that combination of cultures shaped your music?

I was born in Melbourne to Australian parents, but I grew up in Vigo. I relocated to Melbourne when I was sixteen for a few years, and then I moved back to Vigo. I’ve always been moving between different worlds, so life always feels a bit split. Vigo gave me the quiet and space to think. It’s a melancholic kind of city. Melbourne and London, though, showed me how big and chaotic life can be. I think “Perpetual” captures all of that: the quiet, the chaos, the closeness and the wide-open feeling. It’s good to have the possibility to live between those two worlds, because we’re not only one thing, you know?

You’ve mentioned artists like Jeff Buckley, John Mayer and early Coldplay as inspirations for “Perpetual”. In what ways have they influenced your sound? Who else inspires you?

I’ve always admired artists who lead with raw feeling, who let imperfection serve the song without ever losing the melody. I look up to those who have that pure honesty that I’m still chasing — the ones that feel the pain but still choose to speak from love and hope. There are many: Jeff Buckley, early Coldplay, John Mayer, but also Chris Cornell, Michael Jackson, Adele, Sade, Eddie Vedder. I don’t think all of them necessarily directly influenced my sound, but they’re definitely amongst the people I look up to the most.

Talk to me about “Little Light In The Dark” and how it shaped your debut album.

I wrote it when I was fifteen, and it’s kind of where my songwriting started to take shape. I re-recorded it for my debut album coming out next year, and it still feels like the heart of the whole project. I’m very excited for this one. Some people told me that they had insomnia for years until they discovered “Little Light in the Dark” and they would fall asleep to it. Or people who were going through really, really, really rough moments in their lives [have said] this song was all they listened to, and they felt like it was specifically written for them. I was able to see how powerful it was. I guess at the end of the day, music, that’s all it’s there for — to make people feel something.

How did exploring meditation and spirituality impact you during the break that followed the EP?

I never really saw it as a break. I was just a sixteen year old busking, playing shows in my hometown and writing songs. It was an early experience that was ephemeral, because later that year I moved back to Melbourne, and everything kind of dissipated — new life, new school, new home, new friends, new everything. It took me a while to overcome the need for validation that early success left in me. So I eventually turned to meditation, looking for honest answers within myself. It was really a journey of returning to myself through spirituality. Honestly, I don’t think I would have continued making music if it wasn’t for that journey, it really changed me.

That’s so deep.

I’ve got some tissues here!

Meditation and introspection clearly play a big role in your life. How do you find stillness or reconnect with yourself?

I don’t see it as an actual physical journey you need to take. I’m not crazy about it, but meditation is part of my daily routine. I think honesty and authenticity with yourself is the deepest kind of ritual — and just being in the moment in everything that you do. It’s not really what you do, but how you do it, and the awareness that you put into everything.

How does songwriting help you heal? What do you hope listeners will feel through your music?

It just helps me make sense of what I’m feeling. It turns me inwards. I hope listeners can resonate with that honesty and feel less alone, just like my influences made me feel when I was little, and still do.

Your music feels unfiltered and emotionally raw. How do you approach vulnerability when you write? Is it ever difficult to share something so personal?

I just write what I feel, really. Sometimes it’s hard, but that’s also what makes it real.

“Perpetual” feels like a deeply personal beginning to this new project. What can listeners expect next from your upcoming debut album?

I’d say more depth, more truth coming from my upcoming releases. The record is ready, I’m just letting it breathe, one song at a time.

Listen to “Perpetual” here.