Melbourne-based indie-pop gem Kate Martin recently unveiled her new single ‘Kintsukuroi’, the first we’ve heard from Martin since she first charmed us with her 2013 single ‘Awaken’.

Taken form her forthcoming LP Set My Life To Fire, which is due out this Autumn, Martin is set to celebrate the release of the single with two East Coast shows.

Before Martin jets, however, we stole some time from her to talk about how she gets those ethereal layers of guitar she’s known for and found out the gear she couldn’t live without.

Back To Basics

If I had to break my rig down to just the essentials, I would probably just bring a Prophet 6, a Neumann TLM 103, and a Fender Stratocaster. Confession: I don’t own a Prophet 6 or Neumann… yet.

The Prophet 6 is so textural and unlike any other synth, in my opinion. They’re such an amazing studio tool. Neumann mics deliver amazing vocal tone every time.

They help me get the right performance when recording and strats have always been my staple guitar for live and recording, I love their full bodied sound especially when you play up the neck.

Setting Up

I play my Strat into my Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp – it’s such a lush combo. My most commonly used pedals are my Boomerang phrase looper (VERY intuitive pedal and great writing tool) and a Strymon BlueSky.

I also run my vocals through a Boss VE-20 for doubling and harmonies, as well as a Strymon BigSky for vocal reverbs. I also use a Nord Electro 3 for writing.

Evolution

When I first started playing and writing at 14 years old I only had my dad’s nylon Terada, a vintage Japanese guitar which only had three strings when I first picked it up.

Once I shifted to electric I was super excited and inspired by a minimal guitar, amp, and DD-7 delay. I wrote most of my second album on that set up!

Since then I’ve acquired different toys which have helped me craft some of the track beds for my upcoming album, Set My Life To Fire.

Hitting The Studio

Depending on what I’m aiming to achieve I might bring my whole setup into the studio. Other times I might go in with a TC Helicon Voicelive for fun. Whether I go in with my whole rig or just myself, it’s always a premeditated decision.

I always go for the rounded and warm Strat tone, that’s one thing I try to carry over from set up to studio. I don’t like setting too many rules in the studio though. I see it as an opportunity to layer, experiment and push myself.

Gear vs Song

Unless I’ve written with a component that the song cannot live without usually I’m pretty open minded about the way a song unfolds production-wise. I wouldn’t want to miss out on exploring other production ideas because I’ve limited myself to a particular set of sounds.

If I write a song in my room with tremolo on the guitar it doesn’t have to be recorded with tremolo, in the same way if I write on a Nord it doesn’t have to be replicated with that exact sound and those exact settings, unless that is what the song is telling you to do.

Luckily these days whatever you do in the studio can always be translated live which is why I choose not to be restricted by adhering to self imposed rules about what my music should and shouldn’t sound like, I’m always excited to see where a song leads when I’m producing it.

Gear Obsessed

You can have all the cool toys, all the latest upgrades and plugins, but I think it helps to have the idea first. The gear you use should coincide with your creative vision. That being said, gear is such a strong source of writing inspiration for me so it can work both ways.

A piece of electronic gear is essentially an instrument. It’s all there for experimentation, like using tools to create something and develop a signature style.

Getting Weird

I bought a ToneWood Amp through a Kickstarter campaign, it’s literally a battery operated amplifier that attaches to the back of your (acoustic) guitar and generates effects! I also still have my Dad’s 1950s Japanese Terada, the guitar he and I both learnt on as kids. Still sounds amazing too.

Solving Problems

Whether you’re in a rehearsal or on a stage there’s always the risk of not being able to hear yourself properly. I’ve found that using in-ear monitors helps so much because I can hear myself and everything else in the mix with such clarity.

Kate Martin National Tour Dates

Thursday, 26th May 2016
Brighton Up Bar, Sydney

Friday, 10th June 2016
The Workers Club, Melbourne

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