Monica Martin is an accomplished indie rock singer-songwriter who has recently made a huge splash in the Los Angeles music scene. As the lead vocalist of the Wisconsin-based alternative folk group PHOX, Martin finessed her pop lyricism from 2011 to 2017 before taking a hiatus from the group to work on her first solo singles in Los Angeles.
Along with finding her own voice with the debut of new singles in 2018 and 2019, she has collaborated with equally talented voices, specifically renowned vocalist and electronic producer James Blake. Blake and Martin are a proven match made in musical heaven with Blake’s track “Show Me (feat. Monica Martin)” on his latest 2021 LP release ‘Friends That Break Your Heart’ and Martin’s new single “Go Easy Kid (feat. James Blake)” as her official return to music since the pandemic in February 2022. So when it was announced that Monica Martin would be performing at the Moroccan Lounge to unveil her new music, long-time fans and friends in Los Angeles made sure to get a ticket for this special evening.
Monica Martin’s backing guitarist and vocalist Rachel Mazer opened the show with a soulful solo set. With just her voice and guitar on stage, Mazer serenaded the crowd and delighted everyone in attendance. Martin soon entered the stage with Mazer and kicked off her set with two crowd favorites “Cruel” and “Patient.” Along with playing a dynamic hour-long set switching between older singles and her newest singles, including ‘Go Easy, Kid’ as the set closer, Martin made friends with everyone in the crowd by telling personal stories and promoting local artists who were in the crowd that night. The set felt less like a stringent set of songs that needed to be performed within a strict time frame at a Los Angeles music venue, and more like a performance in a friend’s living room where creativity and time had no bounds and friends could join in performing easily. Overall, the night was a huge success for promoting Martin’s new music and I hope to see her perform again in LA soon.
Words and photos by Sarah Woods
