An Ode to Modern Masculinity from Martin Luke Brown’s Mind
I had the awesome privilege to understand more of Martin Luke Brown’s creative process for his recent album release, Man Oh Man! Although we can see where Browns mind is at in these circulating thoughts of masculinity, we see the love that bridges music and human connection in his lyrical letter to his friends. Martin Luke Brown has opened not only his heart but also his wickedly cool talent to the world.
SOUND SATGE: What feeling first sparked Man Oh Man! and how did that evolve as you wrote and recorded the album?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: I’d just come out of a year-long campaign of promoting the FIZZ record with three of my favourite people in the world - (dodie, Orla Gartland, and Greta Isaac), and for all the incredible highs, there were some pretty dense lows. I was always a little jealous of the sisterhood kind of connection they all had throughout that time, and I think coming out of it, I made a real conscious effort to plug in to my wider network of lads and sort of touch base there. I don’t think I’d ever felt how important the men in my life were to me until they weren’t as present. It all began there, really.
SOUND STAGE: This record feels incredibly intimate in the human condition of masculinity. What central narratives or emotions were you hoping listeners would sit with?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: I don’t really ever consider the listener that much, haha. My project has always been a sort of catharsis for me, and any enjoyment or emotional response from that just feels like a special bonus.
SOUND STAGE: This album has been called a pivotal moment in your artistic evolution and personal life. In what ways does Man Oh Man! represent a new chapter for you creatively or personally? Did you consciously set out to reinvent yourself on this record, or did that growth happen naturally as the songs came together?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: I’d come out of the FIZZ chapter of my life, been through a huge breakup, and moved to the other side of London. I was homeless for about 2 months, and during that time, my car, which had all of my belongings in it, broke down hahah. So it was a sort of factory reset of my entire life. None of it has been conscious; it was the most intuition-led thing I’ve ever done, I was literally just getting through it in the only way I knew.
SOUND STAGE: You've said that Man Oh Man! isn't about giving answers on masculinity but about "just trying to question it." What questions about being a man were you grappling with as you wrote these songs? Have they led to more introspection about modern manhood?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: Yeah, I’m still thinking about it all the time. My friends are all around the 30 mark now, and that’s such a big one in your evolution as a man, I think. Some of them are becoming Dads, etc - it’s a huge time. My main takeaway is that men should live their lives in service of something bigger than themselves - be that a partner, a child, a spiritual pursuit. I think where men fall is when they start living their lives in a way that only serves them.
SOUND STAGE: In the track, "this is me now", the song starts melodic and slow. Slowly, towards the end, it builds as the confusion of who you are builds faster. Was this intentional, as lyrics were being created within that one day of songwriting, or was it planned?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: It just happened, Matt and I played through the whole song, and it just felt like the right thing to do at that point. The lyric came later on, but I usually just lean in to whatever feels right; it’s never too cerebral or planned.
SOUND STAGE: You teamed up with your friend/producer Matt Zara and even used old school recording gear like tape machines and vintage mics to make this album. How did leaning into that analog, "perfectly imperfect" process shape the sound of Man Oh Man!? Did embracing a bit of lo-fi warmth help the songs feel more honest or alive in your opinion?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: Oh, for sure, we’re both obsessed with tactile things and want to interact with screens as little as possible. There’s this sexy allure of digital that makes perfection seem like an achievable thing with tuning and quantisation, etc - Matt and I are very much of the mindset that all of that is just thoroughly uninteresting and inhuman, especially with the rise of AI. It feels more important than ever to embrace the fuckery of it all.
SOUND STAGE: One beautiful thread through the album is friendship. I know “back 2 ya” in particular was written as a heartfelt tribute to the friends (and FIZZ bandmates) who have anchored you through life’s ups and downs. What’s the story behind that song? How did those specific friendships inspire it, and what does it mean to you to have a track devoted to celebrating your pals who’ve been there for you?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: Yeah, it’s a cute one, man. I fucking love my people, I’m grateful for it every day. I think your 20s are when your friends are your family in between living with your actual blood family and then ultimately settling down with your chosen family. It’s special. They’ve made me this, you know? They’ve been my life for 10 years.
SOUND STAGE: If you could play Man Oh Man! for your younger self – say, the teenage Martin Luke Brown back home in Leicester just starting – how do you think he’d react? Would he have a favorite song on the album, or would anything about your music and message surprise him (in a good way)?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: Haha, I had bad taste when I was younger, so there’s every chance it would just go over my head. I think I could get down with back 2 ya though. I was bang into Jamiroquai, haha
SOUND STAGE: Is there a particular lyric on this album that always makes you smile, smirk, or think of an inside joke whenever you sing it? What’s the line, and what’s the story or feeling behind it that gives you that little boost on stage?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: Yeah, in ‘back 2 ya’ the line ‘man I’m really gonna miss you guys’ which is a reference to the FIZZ song ‘Grand Finale’. Also in ‘hello !’ the whole ‘damn! this is what I am now’ is a reference to damn, look at the view! My last album. It’s fun doing shit like that.
SOUND STAGE: "to be a man," is an incredible feat of pure honesty about what it feels like to witness this aspect of manhood and raw experiences as you get older. My favorite song on the album! But you ask if there could be anyone to hold your hand, what did it feel like having to confront such big realizations in a short period of time, for Man Oh Man!?
MARTIN LUKE BROWN: Thank you :) I don’t think they were realisations as such, more just meandering thoughts. My project has always felt like a notebook of random scribbles and high thoughts, haha. I think it was just a dense time in my life, so naturally, there was a lot of dense thinking and reflecting.
