OdaMartian

I guess it’s fair to say I’m a newcomer to this music scene.

I didn’t play instruments as a kid.
I staged a walk-out in my elementary school’s “mandatory” choir class.
I repressed much of my creativity as a teenager out of self-consciousness.

It wasn’t until 2018, at the lowest point of my life, that I picked up the guitar that my Grandfather had given me ten years earlier.

And I sat there and played. I turned on YouTube and played along to lessons for 16 hours straight. No food, no sleep, just deep, sinking depression and a yearning for self expression and release.

And I found it. By the end of that 16 hours I felt better than I had in a while. I’d learned a song.

Over the next several years I worked on my playing. While serving 4 1/2 years of a wrongful conviction, guitar playing turned into singing, then making beats, then rapping.

I saw the healing power of music. The fact that it gave people an outlet, a focus, and a better path. We built a program inside the facility that created so much good in spite of so many obstacles. One that encouraged healing, forgiveness, and self expression. I knew this was the path I was supposed to be on.

As a kid, I was exposed to so many different genres of music. I loved everything from John Philip Sousa to Norah Jones, Black Sabbath to 50 Cent. I think these diverse musical influences gave me a unique sound and a vision for what my music could become.

Fresh off the release of my debut EP, “still here?” I’m excited to continue to grow and develop as an artist. I have numerous singles releasing early next year, and another EP before summer. I’m also excited to announce a collaboration with The Marshall Project (details to come).

2025 will be a big year. Looking forward to sharing it with you all.

That’s all for now,
OdaMartian