Martyn Joseph

    Martyn Joseph

    Cardiff, United Kingdom10 reviews across 8 releases

    acousticfolksinger-songwriter
    DiscogsWebsiteBandcampFacebookInstagram

    Martyn Joseph is a Welsh singer-songwriter from Penarth who began recording independently in 1983 and built his early audience through live performance. His songs join intricate acoustic guitar to a clear, sometimes breaking voice, with social injustice and Christian faith treated as parts of ordinary human experience rather than separate subjects. The 1998 Tangled Souls still mixed solo guitar pieces with fuller backing, but its strongest moments were contemplative and spare. By Far From Silent in 1999, the arrangements had been stripped toward the directness of his concerts: finger-picked guitar, stark narratives and hope held inside bleak scenes. Deep Blue changed the balance again. Its one-take vocal approach remained, while piano and strings gave several songs a more deliberate, sometimes near-pop setting. Across these records, the writing became more concise without losing its political edge or spiritual questioning.

    After Sony ended its relationship with him in the mid-1990s, Joseph recorded for Grapevine before establishing Pipe Records in 1999. The label gave him control over the timing and form of his releases, and he continued to work primarily as a solo performer, moving between intimate concerts and international tours. In 2004 he received the Welsh Music Awards' Best Male Artist award. He later collaborated with Tom Robinson and Steve Knightley while continuing to issue studio and live recordings through Pipe. The 2019 song "Here Come the Young" won a Wales Music Award for Best Original English Language Song, and he released 1960 in 2021 before issuing This Is What I Want to Say in 2024. He remains active as a singer, guitarist and songwriter.

    8 releases reviewed