We were lucky to catch up with Martha May recently and have shared our conversation below.
Martha, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
When I first started writing songs, I didn’t deem myself worthy of being called a ‘songwriter’, and among other songwriters I felt just like an imposter! With time I realised that I an whatever I decide myself to be – no specific number of songs written makes you a songwriter. Also, by writing songs regularly I was enforcing my identity further.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Martha May, I’m a 24-year-old independent singer-songwriter from Croatia, currently based in London, UK. My music journey started a long time ago but what I consider as my real beginning is the day I wrote my first song in 2021. After that I realised that’s what I wanted to do forever, just let myself enjoy this creative process of getting my brain out in a melody, but then also perform it on stage to an audience. Since then, I’ve played lots of significant London music venues, and released 4 original songs, and even competed in the Croatian Eurovision National Final with one of them. I consider my sound to be close to indie-pop, but I’m still exploring it!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would say my best quality is my eternal optimism, and this has kept me from sinking even in the moments of worst rejection (every artist goes through this). I’m also grateful for my stubborn desire to become the best at something, helping me push through and learn more about singing technique, songwriting, and music every day. The third skill I would say is necessary in the music world is definitely being a people person, being able to be friendly and connect with people – this often openes many doors! My advice to young creatives would be to not be scared about being ‘late’ with starting, there’s always time and people have different timelines in life!
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
As a songwriter, I’m always on the lookout for producers and co-writers! There’s a few things more enjoyable than a good co-writing session where 2 minds just click together and work on a song!
Contact Info:
- Website: marthamaymusic.com
- Instagram: @martha_may_music
- Facebook: martha_may_music
- Youtube: Martha May
Image Credits
Shaun Dagnall
