Q&A: Essence Martins Confronts Indecision on her New EP ‘Sleeping On It’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SYDNEY LITTLE ☆
Photo by Nicole Ngai
FACED WITH A DIFFICULT DECISION — you may be told to “sleep on it.” When London-based artist Essence Martins realized that this advice wasn’t working for her, she turned to songwriting to explore her most vulnerable thoughts. Her ethereal sophomore EP speaks to the universal experience of learning how to trust oneself.
Martins grew up in the whirlwind of competitive tennis. At the age of 11, her and her twin sister transitioned to online school to fully dedicate themselves to practicing the sport. When Martins returned to in-person school for year 11, she found herself drawn to music. She began learning how to play her favorite songs on piano, and over the years, flourished as a songwriter. Music became a safe haven when times were rocky. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her passion and talent soared to new heights, and she made the decision to step away from tennis and dedicate herself to music.
Now, just over one year since the release of her first EP, she’s ready for her most vulnerable release yet. Sleeping On It reflects on complicated relationships, words left unsaid, and the ever-present challenge of trusting her decisions. Read on to learn more.
Photo by Nicole Ngai
LUNA: You recently celebrated the one year anniversary of your debut EP, Deer In The Headlights. Looking back on that release, how would you say you’ve evolved as an artist since then?
MARTINS: With my first EP, I was so nervous because it was my first project. I didn't know how anybody would receive it. It was also my first time putting out music, so there were so many firsts. It's called Deer in the Headlights because that's how I felt. I was just like, “I'm doing this, and I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it anyway.” This time around, it feels like I’ve been here before. It’s still scary but more exciting. I definitely feel like there's a little less pressure, and I'm enjoying myself a bit more, which is really fun.
LUNA: You have a headline show coming up in about a month! How are you preparing for it?
MARTINS: I'm so excited to play a few new songs live and meet some of the people who've been with me on my journey from my first EP to my second. I love playing with a full band because they're all my friends. Our rehearsals are so fun because we're just jamming, and I can't wait to do that on stage and share that joy with the crowd.
LUNA: You’ve supported some incredible artists such as Rachel Chinouriri and Cat Burns. Have those artists and experiences inspired you or influenced you as an artist and performer?
MARTINS: Just doing it has helped me progress as a performer. I feel like the more live shows you do, the better you get at it. It helps to see how incredible artists perform because I’m kind of a shy person, and I never really imagined myself being a performer. It's so incredible to have role models such as Cat and Rachel. I think they’re so cool. I truly admire their art, their work ethics, and how they work as artists. It’s so cool to support them and take those baby steps for my own performances.
LUNA: You mentioned that you never planned on being a performer. You grew up playing tennis and actually planned to pursue that. Can you share more about the pivot from tennis to music and what inspired that decision?
MARTINS: Yeah, I grew up training to be a professional tennis player. It was more like my dad’s goal. He was very inspired by the Williams sisters. My sister and I grew up training a lot, so being taken out of school and competing was my norm. It was all I knew. I got a tennis scholarship and went to school in North Carolina, but by the time I was 18, I also got my first guitar. I had started showing a bit of interest in piano and thought it’d be cool to learn guitar as well. When I went out to the States, I couldn't bring an instrument with me, but I found someone out there who had a guitar. It was all I wanted to do. I started to really get into songwriting.
I had to go home to London during lockdown, and all I could think about was writing songs. It became very clear to me that I was infatuated with music and wanted to pursue it. It’s been five years now, and I still love it.
LUNA: Is there anything you learned from playing tennis that you still carry with you as a musician?
MARTINS: At first, they felt so different, so I didn’t think anything carried over. Now, I would definitely say the perseverance and discipline stayed with me. As an athlete, you wake up really early to go to training, and you practice every day. It's consistent. I don't have to wake up really early as a musician, which I love, but the discipline is the same. Even when you’re tired, you keep going because you love it so much.
Photo by Nicole Ngai
LUNA: Tell me more about your musical journey. How did you go from teaching yourself piano on YouTube to where you are now?
MARTINS: I found learning covers to be a form of escapism. I think I was under a lot of pressure from competing and training so much while also doing my A-levels in school. I found the piano and started learning covers on YouTube. Once I figured out some of the repetitive chords, I started to play around with random chords, put a melody on top, and wrote some lyrics to that. It just naturally progressed into songwriting, but I don’t think there was ever a moment where I decided to sit down and write a song. It just happened.
LUNA: Do you remember who you started out covering?
MARTINS: A lot of Paramore. I definitely did some High School Musical songs. I love musicals. I also covered some Adele ballads.
LUNA: Your music videos have such a dreamy, ethereal quality that perfectly matches the songs. I particularly loved the video for “Quiet and Perfect.” What’s been your experience making these videos, and how do you see them in relation to the songs themselves?
MARTINS: The video for “Quiet and Perfect” was such a simple thing. We came up with the visuals for the cover art, and I wanted to have a few friends in it. From there we just shot a very simple lyric video to that.
My favorite video is for the song “Hate No More.” I wrote it about a friend who was really struggling with their mental health, and my cousin, who's an actress, said that it's one of her favorite songs that I've written. She wanted to do a music video for it, but I wasn’t sure how we’d make it work without the budget. She brought in an actor friend, and we extended the song’s story. My cousin played the character of my friend who was struggling with their mental health. Her friend Florrie played the “me” character in the situation where I was kind of helping my friend go through that tough time. I played the role of another friend. We shot the whole thing in Florrie’s house, and it was such a fun two days. We got so many people involved, and it was great to see what it really takes to make a music video.
Photo by Nicole Ngai
LUNA: There’s a beautiful moment in “Salvation’s Forgotten Us” where you say “My decisions are mine, I’m not meant to be yours to define.” It’s difficult to get to that place of trusting yourself enough to reject expectations. How have you learned to push through indecision?
MARTINS: I'm always having a battle in my head, and I'm always trying to do what I think is right and just be a good person. I think sometimes I can be a bit too much of a people pleaser and give too much of myself. In that song, I was really just trying to take back power and ownership.
The EP title Sleeping On It ties together that experience of indecision and not being sure of who you are. I think it’s something people feel throughout their lives; it's a relatable feeling that you kind of just have to deal with. You keep taking it one step at a time and trying to do things for yourself. I’m definitely still struggling to combat those feelings, but I’m working on it.
LUNA: What is your favorite song on this EP and why?
MARTINS: I feel like it’s “Salvation’s Forgotten Us,” because it feels so close to home. It feels like my most honest song, and it's definitely my most vulnerable. When I wrote it, it felt a bit too personal. I wasn’t sure how I’d ever be able to release it. I think that vulnerability is what makes songwriting cool. People can interpret it however they want to, and that's why you can put it out.
Sleeping on It is out everywhere April 4.
