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Hometown: Monroe Township, NJ
Label: BTA
Management: seeking management as I consider myself more of a mis-manager
Website: www.martinrivas.net
Sounds Like: Wilco, Radiohead, Paul Weller, Caleb Hawley, Nick Lowe
Genre: Singer Songwriter
Martin Rivas has sought himself in sound from the moment he fell in love with music at age 3. His first 45 purchase, "Soul Makossa," by Manu Dibango, was placed up on the kitchen windowsill for safe keeping when he headed off to kindergarten. Upon arriving home, he found the record to be as warped as a sine wave thanks to the bright sunshine pouring upon it all day. Lesson learned. Take good care of music, and music will take good care of you.
Blending disparate elements such as ’60s soul, improvised sonic experimentation, and garage rock with a distinctly modern folk edge to create a sound that is both instantly inviting and exceptionally deep, Martin's songs practically smile at you from the speakers, even when that smile masks a bit of angst, or longing, or searing hurt. His lyric writing has served as his personal method of therapy for a few decades now, and it seems to be working, for him, and perhaps for the devoted listeners he has shared his music with over the years, because they ain't abandoned him yet.
Martin has released a total of six solo albums, and he has shared stage and studio with a wildly varied palette of artists the likes of Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Yoko Ono, Aimee Mann, Joan Jett, Dave Chappelle, A Great Big World, Dar Williams, Ingrid Michaelson, Greg Holden, Rosanne Cash, Nicole Atkins, Gov’t Mule, Loudon Wainwright III, Garland Jeffreys, Marshall Crenshaw and many many more on stages in the United States, the UK, Ireland, and continental Europe. He proudly served for several years as pop sensation Rachel Platten’s guitarist and co-conspirator.
Martin’s sixth album, Reliquary, features “Your Heart Will Be Broken Again,” the 2013 Independent Music Award Vox Populi winner for Best Adult-Contemporary Song, and “C’mon While We’re Young,” which was featured on Oxfam America’s Oxfam Summer Jams 2012 compilation, alongside Brendan Benson, Nada Surf, Beat Connection, and more underground artists.
Fatherhood has introduced Martin to his greatest passion of all, and while he is savoring every possible second with his brand-new pal, he found the time to produce and release his seventh album, The Agreeable Passage of Time, available now, which subconsciously chronicles the profound simplicity of these moments he's currently immersed within.
“Martin Rivas is a musician not to be overlooked. The Convalescence EP, if nothing else, is a true testament to the power of any artist to create in and under any circumstance…and in this case, to create something great.
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Julia Albain - Buzzine
“Steeped in traditional soul/jazz tradition, Rivas encompasses all those influences yet creates a fresh and exciting new sound that must be heard to be truly appreciated.”
Rebel Spirit - Rebel Spirit Music Series
“New York City music staple Martin Rivas transforms the "healing time" of an unfortunate injury into an EP that seems to possess a healing power in itself. "This Winter Isn't Ending" brings us brutal truth from an exhausted character and remains one of my favorite independent tunes from 2010. Don't miss Martin when he comes to your town.”
iTunes music review
“There are people in this world who sing for the glory and there are people who sing for love and fulfillment that a single lyric may touch just one person and change them, whether for a split-second or a lifetime...Martin Rivas is the latter.”
Christina Morelli - NYC Artists Scene
"Sea of Clouds, the new album from Martin Rivas, is a satisfying mix of soul and innovation."
Julia Albain - Buzzine
“His previous albums, Glorious, Bottleneck, and Pride of the Valley were lovely seedlings, homegrown and ripe for picking, but with his fourth effort he’s finally found his prize-winning garden.”
Christina Morelli - NYC Artists Scene
“A campfire is the perfect image for a Martin Rivas performance- it's warming, comfortable, and endearing. New York is a vast city, difficult at times to make your way around... so if you haven't been to a Martin Rivas show, venture over one evening. I promise, you will feel like you just found home.”
Christina Morelli - NYC Artists Scene
