From humble beginnings in a down to earth Lancashire market town (population circa 73,000) to the heaving musical metropolis of modern London (population circa 8,900,000), Stevie Martino's story is a classic tale - that of a man with a calling.
From an early age Martino's parents recognised that the boy was special. Stevie's third word was 'guitar' (his first and second were 'I' and 'want') and his parents weren't ones to let such potential go - the young Martino was soon presented with a guitar and there was no looking back. Solitary weeks, months and years were spent in the Martino bedroom "honing skills". Before long there were songs and then more songs, as the young Martino realised that he could only truly express the deep torrents of emotion raging within his soul through music.
In 1995 something within Martino's soul told him that the time was right to expand and stretch out, he knew he had something to say but he could not say what. So guitar in hand he did the only thing he could do, he set out to look for life - to Manchester (population circa 547,000)!
Martino loved Manchester and Manchester loved Martino. The raw, gritty industrial landscape, the anger, the people. Before long rich experiences were seeping into his songs and the word began to spread - this boy had something to say! First through close friends and family and then through others, knowledge of the musical dynamo leaked out and as homemade tapes began to change hands a buzz began to grow.
Martino began the now legendary "Wolverhampton (population circa 250,000) sessions" where he was to fuse his youthful zest with an almost supernatural ability to see into the lives of others. Musical and lyrical visions came to Martino through the haze and he as the channel for these feelings began to move his writing onto a higher level.
Things were not all rosy however. The vision seemed far away as life interfered with his previously clear ideas. The path strayed and Martino found himself having to work like a slave to keep himself in guitar strings and tequila. This was a time of confusion and Martino found himself pushed from pillar to post. A sign was soon to arrive in the shape of a famous institution - the Royal Mail! By some strange twist of fate Martino had found himself in the delivery business taking joyous packages to the people of Edinburgh (population circa 488,000) and it felt good! He came to realise that delivering joy was in his blood and this inspired him to deliver his true gift to the world - his song!
The music that Martino writes is inspired by experience and dreams he writes with passion but pays no notice to convention, mixing traditional ideas of melody with rap, rock, latino, dance and even country. Martino wants to take you to his world and it's a good place to be. Come on, board the Martino express!