Martyn Joseph

Born in Penarth, Wales, Martyn Joseph has since the early 1980s developed a repertoire of acoustic folk nourished by Celtic influences and a singer-songwriter writing that is very focused on storytelling, social observation, and protest. His career began as an independent artist with I’m Only Beginning in 1983, followed by a string of albums in the 1980s, then a stint with Sony with Being There in 1992 and the Martyn Joseph album in 1995. After this period, Martyn Joseph took control of his production by founding his own label, Pipe Records, in 1999, within which he released much of his work, from Far From Silent (1999) to Whoever It Was That Brought Me Here Will Have To Take Me Home (2003), Deep Blue (2005), Vegas (2007), Sanctuary (2015), Here Come The Young (2019), 1960 (2021) and This Is What I Want To Say (2024). His writing, often carried by guitar and harmonica, alternates stripped-down ballads, livelier folk, and songs with political content. Martyn Joseph has also worked with Tom Robinson, Steve Knightley, and poet Stewart Henderson, while remaining very active on stage, both solo and in British and North American folk festivals.