First of all, tell us about yourself, who are you and what do you do?

My name is Martha Hill and I’m a Newcastle based musician. I left home at 17 to pursue music, but had no idea where to start. I ended up busking for money and travelling round Europe on and off for a few years. After settling back in the North East, I joined Gypsy Folk and Roll band Holy Moly and the Crackers playing trombone. A couple of years ago I left to start my own solo project and now tour all over the UK and Europe playing with my band.

Why did you choose to become a musician/songwriter?

I didn’t really mean to choose it. Music was always something I was drawn to, whether classical or in emo-rock bands as a teen and then into songwriting. It began as an outlet but I left home too young to work in bars so started busking for rent. One thing leads to the next, and now I’m a professional songwriter which is nuts!

As a young musician/songwriter, who were some of your biggest inspirations?

I loved all the classic singer/songwriters like Joan Armatrading, Nina Simone, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman… anything with a bit of grit that moved me.

What do you feel is your biggest achievement in music so far?

Ooh, hard to say. I’ve had a few amazing moments throughout my time as a musician! Had some BBC 1 plays this year which was lush. I recorded down in Maida Vale Studios for the BBC as well which was mad. Also playing sold out headline shows in Newcastle or when I got to support Maximo Park at The Sage alongside the RNS. 

What are your biggest aspirations within the music industry?

To be the next Ed Sheeran.

If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice as a young musician/songwriter, what would it be and why?

Probably to put more effort into finding out what exactly the music industry is. It’s not enough these days to just write and sing well, you have to really understand the industry and make sure you put yourselves in as many of the “right places” so you can be there for the “right times” haha.

Why is music education so important?  

Music is proven to be really good for brain development and to help other parts of learning. It’s also super fun and really brings people together. I struggled a bit as a teenager, and music really kept me grounded and was so important