With a long road trip looming on the horizon, in the pre-iPhone era, the only logical thing to help pass the time along the way was to make a mix tape. On long drives, these battered cassettes (and later, CD burns) is what soothed our souls and kept us from drifting off the road.
These tapes are what inspired acclaimed singer/songwriter Martin Sexton while writing songs for his 8th studio album Mixtape of the Open Road, to be released on February 10th via KTR/Redeye. Earlier today, The Wall Street Journal premiered the first single from the album, “Remember That Ride,” calling it a “slinky groove” with “a loose, open feel that mixes in handclaps, slide guitar licks and slightly distorted vocals on an earworm refrain.”
LISTEN: Martin Sexton’s “Remember That Ride” via Wall Street Journal:
http://m.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-84964
Inspired by a childhood dream co-writer Ned Claflin had about a wild, magical carnival ride of his own invention, “Remember That Ride” takes listeners through a series of loops and dives, tunnels and time. “It’s sort of like Alice in Wonderlandmeets The Wizard of Oz at the state fair with Timothy Leary taking tickets,” said Martin.
Mixtape of the Open Road is exactly what the title suggests; a mix tape of songs, but written and performed all by the same artist. It’s a musical cross-country trip blazing through all territories of style, cruising through time and place. It’s a charm bracelet of twelve gems all strung together with the golden thread of what Rolling Stone calls Martin’s “soul marinated voice.”
“I’ve taken comfort and inspiration from mixtapes friends made for me. You know, like that soundtrack that you crossed the country to after graduation or that music that got you through a broken heart,” Martin told Wall Street Journal’s Eric Danton. “I wanted to make a record in this fashion with each song musically different from the next, ranging from a distorted, bombastic ‘Remember That Ride’ to a guy and a guitar (‘Set In Stone’) singing about the unwavering love for his child.”
Known for his success as an independent recording artist and his incendiary live shows, this will be Martin’s first full-length studio album since 2010’s Sugarcoating. Immediately following its release, Martin will hit the road on his winter/spring US tour which kicks off February 12th. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.martinsexton.com.
Mixtape of the Open Road Track List:
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US Winter/Spring 2015 Tour Dates:
01/10 – Englewood, NJ @ Bergen Performing Arts Center
02/12 – Louisville, KY @ KCD Theater
02/13 – Chicago, IL @ Park West
02/14 – Bloomington, IL @ Castle Theatre
02/15 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
02/18 – Cedar Rapids, IA @ CSPS
02/19 – Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s
02/20 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
02/21 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada
02/22 – Sioux Falls, SD @ The District
02/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
02/26 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
02/27 – Seattle, WA @ The Neptune
02/28 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre
03/01 – Eugene, OR @ Wow Hall
03/03 – Chico, CA @ Rendezvous
03/04 – Arcata, CA @ Arcata Theatre
03/05 – Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
03/06 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s
03/07 – Napa, CA @ City Winery
03/11 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Soho Club
03/12 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up
03/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
03/14 – Phoenix, AZ @ TBA
03/15 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
03/16 – Santa Fe, NM @ The Lensic
03/21 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theatre
03/27 – Nashville, TN @ City Winery
03/28 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
03/29 – Charlotte, NC @ Visualite Theatre
03/30 – Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre
04/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
04/18 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club
05/01 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
05/02 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
05/09 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
06/06 – Hartford, CT @ Infinity Hall
