Martin Harley

Born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1975, Martin Harley has developed since the early 2000s a repertoire straddling folk, blues and acoustic roots, with slide guitar at its core and a spare, narrative songwriting style informed by American textures. He first gained recognition with The Martin Harley Band, a British trio that toured the UK and internationally, before continuing under his own name. His discography begins with Martin Harley (2003), followed by Money Don’t Matter (2005), Grow Your Own (2008) and Drumrolls for Somersaults (2010). A new phase emerged with Mojo Fix (2012), recorded in Texas with producer and bassist Bob Parr, anchoring Harley’s presence on British and North American stages. Subsequent releases include Live at Southern Ground (2015) with Daniel Kimbro, Static in the Wires (2017), Roll With the Punches (2019) and Morning Sun (2024). Over his career Martin Harley has also contributed guitar to projects by Kate Walsh and Fink, working in a register where rural blues, contemporary folk and acoustic songwriting intersect.