Lenny Martelli – Just A Thought

By starrymag | December 30, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Country, with a little rock.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I love Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Toby Keith, ZBB, Tim McGraw and a lot of the artists from the late 90s/early 2000s who are still staples in the genre today. I also grew up listening to a lot of classic rock, 90s grunge, and “emo” pop-punk, in addition to a little bit of everything – I love any music that can tell a story and convey emotion.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Just a Thought.”

 

A) The song is loosely based on my Mom’s life. She lost her mother the day before giving birth to me (her first born), took care of my grandfather for twenty years until he passed away and all the while raised three children and is an active and loved Catholic grade school teacher. She never lost faith through all she experienced and encourages me to ask the hard questions when you need to, think about the things that have gotten you to where you are, be upset if you need to be, doubt, be angry, feel however you need to and then believe in yourself, the people around you and (most importantly) God to get you back on your feet and through whatever it is.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) If we take away the faith aspect, I think everyone has doubted themselves at some point – or have felt hopeless or defeated – and people can connect to that honest emotion.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

 

A) It’s a little bit of both. I have various notes on my phone for taglines and started lyrics and then separate voice memos of melody or riff/groove ideas. Sometimes it all comes out together, but more often than not they’ve all been a work in progress at some point.

 

Q) Noah Henson helped produce the song, but how much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

 

A) I try to help produce as much as I can. Since I play enough instruments to organize my own compositions in my head, I usually have an idea on the overall production direction I want to go in for each song I write. Sometimes I may have already produced and recorded a demo for the song so there’s an idea of what we want the record to sound like. For this EP it was a little of that along with some things that I left entirely up to Noah to get creative with on the spot. In the end, it was an amazing collaboration and I love the songs we put together!

 

Q) How did you decide on these five songs for your EP Just A Thought?

 

A) I had a catalog of songs. Noah and I consulted on which we thought would work best together given we were only going to do four new ones in addition to the fifth bonus track demo I had done before. During the process we ended up scheduling a writing session with one of Noah’s friends, Billy Dawson. Billy has a huge resume of co-writes and releases of his own. We got together to see if we could come up with something new to throw into the mix and came out with what became the title track and one of my favorite songs to date, “Just A Thought.” Noah and Billy also sing the background harmonies on the recording, with all three of us singing and playing guitar tracks on the song. It makes it a very special collaboration. I’m very blessed to have been a part of it and be able to include it on my EP.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Lenny Martelli performance?

 

A) A mixed bagged – I try to use a live show as a bigger canvas to tell the stories of the songs and try to pair the emotion of each song with a visual experience. Much like a record, there’s ups and downs to the live show, making the next moment unexpected to build anticipation throughout the entire show.

 

Q) What songs off your EP have you enjoyed performing live?

 

A) I love playing “Just A Thought.” It gives me a chance to connect with the crowd on a different level.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new EP as a whole?

 

A) I hope they experience the mix of emotions and experiences that inspired the songs themselves. They’re real. They’re about my life or the ones closest to me. So, I hope they can take away all that went into the creation of the EP itself.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

 

A) I love playing for my hometown. There’s something special and irreplaceable about seeing the community you grew up in come together to celebrate what you do.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) Ed Sheeran and Dan + Shay. I’ve been a big fan of how both artists have brought such a different sound to their respective genres and have grown their fanbase through traveling and connecting with the people that listen to them and support them.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I love the new Luke Combs record – everything about it; songwriting, production and his vocal performance. It’s an instant classic and a breath of fresh air for country music fans like myself.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) That it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. I’m so grateful for the people that listen to my music and come out to shows. They’re the reason I’m able to pursue this as a real career and to be able to play music as a job is truly a dream come true. I love my “fans.” I have a hard time even saying fans because I consider them family. They welcome me into their lives through my music, some every single day, and that’s not something I take for granted.