Martin Craft
Encyclopedia
Martin James Ford Craft is a musician and songwriter who lives and works in London
. Craft was a founding member of the Australian rock band Sidewinder
. When they split up he relocated to London where he followed a career as a solo artist under the name M.Craft. He has also spent several years playing rhythm guitar with Jarvis Cocker
.
but grew up in the UK as his father, Hugh Craft, worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
. The family returned to Canberra in 1988. Craft formed the rock band Sidewinder whilst still in school. After graduating, he studied piano and composition at the Canberra School of Music for several years, dropping out and moving to Sydney when Sidewinder were offered a record deal with Half a Cow Records.
, bass player for The Lemonheads
and owner of Half a Cow Records. When signed Craft was still sixteen years of age so his contract had to be countersigned by his parents.
Drawing their influences from the sixties psychedelia, garage rock and nineties shoegazing scenes, Sidewinder became a prominent "indie"
band, known particularly for their live performances which incorporated film projections and psychedelic light shows. They released three EPs: TStar (1991), Yoko Icepick (1992) and The Gentle Art of Spoonbending (1994), and the album Atlantis (1995),but it was their final album Tangerine (1997) that saw the band achieve their greatest successes – both commercially and artistically. In 1997 they also were the support act for the Australian leg of U2
's Popmart tour. After parting with Universal Records
a third album stalled in mid-recording and they disbanded in 1999.
He has tended to play most of the instruments on his own records and has most often acted as his own engineer and producer. His influences are diverse. Whilst many of his songs incorporate folk-style fingerpicking, others draw their inspiration from dance-influenced pop, Latin rhythms and sixties artists such as the Velvet Underground.
He has been compared to widely disparate artists, most frequently Neil Young
, Elliot Smith and Serge Gainsbourg
.
The mini-album I Can See It All Tonight (2004) saw Craft begin to be given critical acclaim in the press. Craft began work on an album, much of which was recorded in home studios around Dalston, where Craft has lived for many years. A full length record Silver and Fire was released in 2006 and saw Craft’s reputation as a songwriter and producer become more widely recognized. As well as receiving substantial airplay, Craft also appeared live at many festivals in Europe, at the Spiegeltent as part of the Sydney festival in Australia, where Silver and Fire was released under his full name of Martin Craft with an added disc of bonus tracks.
Although Craft ended his relationship with 679 Recordings after Silver and Fire, he has continued to work as an independent artist and producer and a second album is due for release in early 2010, titled Arrows at the Sun.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Craft was a founding member of the Australian rock band Sidewinder
Sidewinder (band)
Sidewinder was a rock band founded in 1991 by brothers Nick and Martin Craft in the Australian capital Canberra. They supported U2 on the Australian leg of their Popmart tour. In the same year. Sidewinder's second album Tangerine received much airplay on Australian radio, most notably on Triple J.-...
. When they split up he relocated to London where he followed a career as a solo artist under the name M.Craft. He has also spent several years playing rhythm guitar with Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
.
Early life
Craft was born in CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
but grew up in the UK as his father, Hugh Craft, worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
. The family returned to Canberra in 1988. Craft formed the rock band Sidewinder whilst still in school. After graduating, he studied piano and composition at the Canberra School of Music for several years, dropping out and moving to Sydney when Sidewinder were offered a record deal with Half a Cow Records.
Sidewinder
Sidewinder were formed in 1991 by Martin with his brother Nick Craft, and guitarist Pip Branson, who were joined several years later by drummer Shane Melder. They soon came to the attention of Nic DaltonNic Dalton
Nic Dalton is an Australian musician, best known as the bass guitarist for American band The Lemonheads at the height of their popularity...
, bass player for The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member....
and owner of Half a Cow Records. When signed Craft was still sixteen years of age so his contract had to be countersigned by his parents.
Drawing their influences from the sixties psychedelia, garage rock and nineties shoegazing scenes, Sidewinder became a prominent "indie"
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band, known particularly for their live performances which incorporated film projections and psychedelic light shows. They released three EPs: TStar (1991), Yoko Icepick (1992) and The Gentle Art of Spoonbending (1994), and the album Atlantis (1995),but it was their final album Tangerine (1997) that saw the band achieve their greatest successes – both commercially and artistically. In 1997 they also were the support act for the Australian leg of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's Popmart tour. After parting with Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
a third album stalled in mid-recording and they disbanded in 1999.
M. Craft
Craft had begun work on a solo project while Sidewinder were still active, when he started working with J.Walker of Machine Translations in 1999. He moved to London and was signed to the London label 679 Recordings, where he began releasing records again under the name M.Craft.He has tended to play most of the instruments on his own records and has most often acted as his own engineer and producer. His influences are diverse. Whilst many of his songs incorporate folk-style fingerpicking, others draw their inspiration from dance-influenced pop, Latin rhythms and sixties artists such as the Velvet Underground.
He has been compared to widely disparate artists, most frequently Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Elliot Smith and Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
.
The mini-album I Can See It All Tonight (2004) saw Craft begin to be given critical acclaim in the press. Craft began work on an album, much of which was recorded in home studios around Dalston, where Craft has lived for many years. A full length record Silver and Fire was released in 2006 and saw Craft’s reputation as a songwriter and producer become more widely recognized. As well as receiving substantial airplay, Craft also appeared live at many festivals in Europe, at the Spiegeltent as part of the Sydney festival in Australia, where Silver and Fire was released under his full name of Martin Craft with an added disc of bonus tracks.
Although Craft ended his relationship with 679 Recordings after Silver and Fire, he has continued to work as an independent artist and producer and a second album is due for release in early 2010, titled Arrows at the Sun.