Artist Interview: Slip Martin balances dreamy soundscapes with a realist outlook

The melody to Slip Martin’s most popular song ‘Wallflower’ came to him in a dream. It’s the sort of story that would have other artists rolling their eyes whilst internally punching the air – if only it were always that easy. Was it divine intervention? George, Slip Martin’s real name, isn’t so sure. He’s just annoyed his subconscious hasn’t gifted him another hit since.

The 30-year-old alt-pop singer, writer and producer released his second EP ‘Travelling Somewhere, Distance Unknown’ on Friday 26th June. It’s a dreamy collection of delicately produced tracks with lyrics advocating for finding one’s place in the world, while also finding freedom in everyday life. Moreover, it feels like the clearest picture yet of an artist who has finally settled into his own sound.

“I find it difficult to sort of describe my music because I don’t massively, or haven’t massively been part of an alt-pop/pop scene”. While George’s standard production process consists of discovering samples, making skeleton beats and teaming up with a producer to tear it all apart and start afresh, he’s an ideas man at heart. “I write a lot of ideas and take them to a producer… a lot of the initial ones come from making beats myself, or from playing guitar – but I find guitar quite restrictive”.

He’s noticeably more confident in that sound on his sophomore EP. “It just kind of sounds fuller and bigger than the first EP. The first EP I did was very much sort of trying to find my feet a little bit in terms of my sound and what I wanted to produce. And the second EP for me feels more mature”.

He’s had quite the flip-flop journey, taking up classical guitar at the age of seven, drums at eleven, jazz drums at Leeds Conservatoire and back to guitar during lockdown when he officially started writing music. “It was the first time I really had off from gigging”. Before lockdown, he was playing the drums in side projects, and continues to do so to this day.

Keeping busy with gigs and multiple projects has taken him to some pretty spectacular places. “I’ve been really lucky playing for a saxophonist called Jasmine Myra for the best part of 10 years now… we went to South Africa in March, Istanbul, China too, but my favourite place we went was Johannesburg in South Africa”. Climbing Table Mountain in the daytime and going on to play a sold-out gig in the evening, in a city where no one knows your name, has its own special exhilaration, but home gigs continue to have a place in George’s heart. “It’s just nice to show your work to your friends and family… but travelling to places that you’ve not been before is something that I really love to do”.

Travelling has offered more than a few stamps in his passport, too. “The main inspiration I get particularly from playing with Jasmine is understanding that it’s possible to make a living from creating and performing original music… and just being surrounded by really great musicians who are making it work in a world where it’s quite difficult to do so, being a creative”.

George’s outlook is a pragmatic one that most independent artists adopt before they start truly enjoying the fruits of their labour. “I’d rather spend time writing music that will gain a following through socials and Spotify”. There’s often a tendency to frame artists as either uncompromising dreamers or cynical strategists, but George seems comfortably positioned somewhere between the two. Lil Nas X got his big break by utilising public listening data to craft a highly marketable first single that deliberately catered to the algorithm. Unsurprisingly, the multi-faceted powerhouse that is Dua Lipa had a similar comeuppance, building her portfolio through cover songs, which opened doors with producers at networking events. He knows great songs alone rarely guarantee an audience, and he’d rather invest his energy where it has the greatest chance of helping the project grow.

That same pragmatism shapes how he thinks about performing live. “I’m more reluctant to book gigs outside of Leeds right now. You’re sort of at the mercy of promoters, and I think the industry in the UK is somewhat challenged… that’s why I’m a bit reluctant to get a band together and do a big tour when there’s no guarantee that it’s going to do much for the project”. It’s an unglamorous reality for independent artists in 2026: every gig, every rehearsal and every mile travelled has to justify itself. 

That isn’t to say he isn’t grateful for where music has already taken him. “There’s always lots to learn. I wouldn’t say I’m a novice, but yeah, I’m getting there. I can’t really ask for more in terms of me as a musician. I really get to do what I love”. That being said, making a living under capitalism often means taking on work that doesn’t always align with the vision. “You sometimes have to do things that you don’t necessarily want to. I play a lot of weddings”.

With ‘Travelling Somewhere, Distance Unknown’, George feels like he has finally laid the foundations for what Slip Martin can become. “I don’t know where I’m at in my career, but I’m happy, which is enough for me… I’ve worked really hard to get to this point, and I’m enjoying it”.

‘Travelling Somewhere, Distance Unknown’ by Slip Martin is available now. You can find his music on Spotify, TIDAL and Bandcamp. To keep up to date with his work follow him on Instagram: @slipmartin