They have described themselves as queer, straight edge, vegan and anarchist. They have no designated frontperson and all contribute vocals. Two members of Martha previously founded (and still play in) the band ONSIND, and another leads the band No Ditching.
They have variously cited The Housemartins, Motown, Billy Bragg, The Thermals, Ted Leo, power pop, The Replacements, Heart, The Marked Men, Big Star, Masshysteri, and The Exploding Hearts as influences.
Martha formed in the village of Pity Me, a suburb of Durham in the North East of England. Formed by J.C. Cairns (guitar/vocals), Daniel Ellis (guitar/vocals), Naomi Griffin (bass/vocals), and Nathan Stephens-Griffin (drums/vocals) in the early 2010s, they released their self-titled debut EP in February 2012.
A year later they released the "Sycamore"/"Lost Without You" single on their own Discount Horse label. The band played Indietracks festival for the first time in 2013. After releasing a split single with American artist Spoonboy (David Combs of The Max Levine Ensemble) Martha headed to the studio with MJ of Hookworms to record their first album.
Courting Strong was released by Fortuna Pop! in the U.K. and Salinas Records in the U.S. They followed it with more split singles with American bands Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez and Radiator Hospital, a repeat visit to Indietracks and an appearance at Glastonbury Festival.
Their next album Blisters in the Pit of My Heart, also produced by MJ, was issued in mid-2016 by Dirtnap Records in the U.S. and Fortuna Pop! once again in the U.K.
They toured the UK with Radiator Hospital in late 2015, and played a tour of the UK and Ireland with Joyce Manor in July 2017.
In mid to late April and early May 2018 they, along with Bad Moves of Washington, D.C., supported Jeff Rosenstock for the Northeastern and Midwestern leg of his US tour.
On 17 April 2018 Martha, filling in last minute for Yo La Tengo, were the guest band on an episode of The Chris Gethard Show on truTV.
On 13 December 2018 the band released single "Heart Is Healing"; announcing they had signed to Big Scary Monsters in the UK and EU and had a new album following soon. On 28 January 2019 the band unveiled title track "Love Keeps Kicking" as a single. The video for which was the second directed for the band by friends Ben Epstein and David Combs of The Max Levine Ensemble. The band's third album, Love Keeps Kicking, was released on 5 April 2019.
Sleeping Beauty
Martha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your clothes for my clothes, I can't get mine dirty anyway, you see/
Your football boots/
My football knees/
I hate the shoes they bought for me/
Inside gets boring but when I showed I had an interest in Rugby/
They laughed at me.
Oh sister I would love your Wendy House/
They don't hear me either, I can't get a word in edgeways, you see/
My football boots/
Your football knees/
If you're not too cool/
Come play with me/
Outside gets boring but when I asked if I could watch Sleeping Beauty/
They laughed at me.
But it's alright, when no grown ups are around/
You can still be Daphne and I'll be Fred
The song "Sleeping Beauty" by Martha is a reflective piece about reminiscing over childhood memories and feeling left out. The song begins with a nostalgic tone, as the lyrics reveal a desire to swap various items with siblings. The singer expresses a willingness to part with their own possessions, traded for something that they see as more exciting such as a spud gun or football boots. The desire to step into someone else's shoes suggests an underlying feeling of dissatisfaction with their own life, and a longing for something better.
The chorus of the song, "Outside gets boring but when I asked if I could watch Sleeping Beauty, they laughed at me," is a striking contrast to the rest of the lyrics. It reveals that there is something more concerning underlying their desires to switch things up with their siblings. The other children don't seem to understand or care about the singer's interests, and their laughter at the suggestion shows how isolated and left out they feel. This leads to the singer seeking refuge in a world of make-believe, and the line "but it's alright, when no grown ups are around, you can still be Daphne and I'll be Fred" is a nod to the popular children's cartoon Scooby Doo, suggesting that the only way to find solace and acceptance is through escapism.
Overall, the song highlights the struggles and isolation children sometimes face in their youth. It also shows how important it is for siblings to share interests and appreciate each other's differences.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh brother I would swap my Wendy House for your spud gun any day/
I value your spud gun more than my Wendy House.
Your clothes for my clothes, I can't get mine dirty anyway, you see/
I prefer your clothes over mine as they are not allowed to get dirty.
Your football boots/
I want your football boots.
My football knees/
I have knee pain due to playing football.
I hate the shoes they bought for me/
I do not like the shoes purchased for me.
Inside gets boring but when I showed I had an interest in Rugby/
Staying inside is boring but when I expressed my interest in Rugby, it was not appreciated.
They laughed at me.
They made fun of me.
Oh sister I would love your Wendy House/
I would like to have your Wendy House.
But I'll keep my spud gun for today/
However, I want to keep my spud gun for today.
They don't hear me either, I can't get a word in edgeways, you see/
I am not heard by others and they do not let me speak.
If you're not too cool/
If you are not too cool to play with me.
Come play with me/
Please come and play with me.
If I could watch Sleeping Beauty/
I want to watch Sleeping Beauty.
They laughed at me.
They made fun of me.
But it's alright, when no grown ups are around/
It is okay when there are no adults around.
You can still be Daphne and I'll be Fred
We can still pretend and have fun playing our favorite roles.
Contributed by Sophia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Colossal Squid FM
I love this. I love the lyrics.
Yesika
Naomi has such a great voice :3
J Fiedler
Martha, Delay, Marco, Trumbullplex, Fat Patty, traveling - this video is perfection. It makes my heart happy.
Also the song is the best.
Prithvi Jadhav
amazing stuff guys!!
Keegan Hudson
You guys are the best! Love from Washington DC.Β
Dave not Doug
This song reminds me of a girl I used to know in Paraparaumu. Her name was Shazza, and she had a gammy leg, but for a girl with a gammy leg she used to dance better than my dad. He's passed away now. Shazza did have sexual relations with my best friend, Bud, but I forgave her, and I think that is what this song is all about.
JOYNER Martinez
u're the best band,Β greetings from Mexico.
boddypenn x liam
durhams finest
Grant Myles-Era
Thin Lizzy ending! Sweet!
dagnabitkat
β€οΈ