U OUGHT TO KNOW; DARK BLONDE; SHEDDING LIGHT ON MUSICIAN CHARLOTTE
MARTIN
Sandra Barrera, Staff Writer
The Daily News of Los Angeles
Name: Charlotte Martin
Age: 26
Profession: Singer-songwriter
Why U ought to know her: This West Hollywood transplant from
Charleston, Ill., is in the midst of recording her RCA debut. The
album is still untitled, but musically it will follow suit with her
forthcoming "One Girl Army" EP on the indie Bong Load Records. It was
recorded last year. Martin is a classically trained vocalist. She
majored in opera and studied piano at Eastern University of Illinois,
where her father is a music professor. After some life-altering
experiences, her focus changed and she began crafting piano-driven,
industrial rock songs a la Tori Amos, PJ Harvey and Kate Bush. "I'm a
big Kate Bush freak," Martin says. Opera girl: "I wanted to be an
opera singer because it was hard and I was relatively good for as
young as I was. I was a coloratura, which is the highest soprano. But
I didn't listen to opera all that very much. I just liked doing it."
Her path to singer-songwriter: "I had a friend kill herself in
college. And I didn't really try, but when she died I just wrote a
song for her funeral in, like, 10 minutes, and then I just kept
going."
A closeted goth: "I think everyone has a dark side. I have a quote
for you that's really great that someone sent me in my journal. I
keep journals with, like, a couple of people and we send it back and
forth. But it says, 'I have a dark part and a light part; one can
only see through the dark part.' And that freaked me out. It's true,
you know? ... After my friend died, I started to date really weird
guys; I had a couple of friends die, actually. Death pre-empted my
career. It's an interesting way to start having something to write
about. And then I came to L.A."
Something to be proud about: "I went to a doctor for my yearly exam
and a transvestite walked in with a fresh boob job, and her nipples
were showing, and I was just so proud to live here."
Happy songs: "The hardest thing to do is write happy songs that don't
suck, and I think Bjork is a real good example of that, you know?"
Finding inspiration in the City of Angels: "I read a lot. Actually, I
suck because I never finish books. I try to. I'm one of those people
who will start something and have it take me six months to get
through it. Right now I'm reading Anne Sexton, which is slightly
depressing."
On her band: "I have a bass player from Cuba. His name is Hector, and
he came here on a raft. I announced it at my last show and someone
came up to me and asked, 'Was that a part of the show?' Because I'm
like, 'This is my new bass player, and he floated in on a raft from
Cuba,' and the whole Mint just got very quiet. And I'm like, 'Isn't
that great? OK, or not!' "
U don't say: "If you can't laugh at yourself then what's the point?"
says Martin of her self-mocking comic strip at
www.charlottemartin.com. The semi-autobiographical "766 Sixth Street"
pokes fun at Martin's beauty queen days as the 1994 Miss Illinois
Teen U.S.A. Martin's likeness, the blond Jerica, sports a tiara and
tutu and is forever the eternal optimist. "Gosh," she says while
eyeing a house rental guide, "moving is so tubular!" If only her
roommate, a goth girl with attitude who is based on Martin's real-
life best friend, shared her sunny demeanor.
Where U can see her: Martin takes part in the Best of BMI
Songwriter's Club Tuesday at Highland Grounds (742 N. Highland Blvd.,
Los Angeles) with Duane Neillson, Danny Wilde and Lowen & Navarro. No
cover charge. Call (323) 466-1507.
If U want more information:
www.charlottemartin.com