Martin Kerr’s profound skills manifest in multiple ways. The folk singer and Canadian Idol alum’s latest album, Better Than Brand-New, demonstrates wide talents as a singer, composer, and mouth trumpeter. Its tracks will draw you in listening, laughing, even humming along.
The stand-out “You’re Amazing” is a simple, lyrically profound tune. “I’m Not Bad Myself, But You’re Amazing,” Kerr wrote for his wife in Australia, after she suggested he write a song about how wonderful she is.
Says Kerr, “A great deal of inspiration comes from the imagery and concepts in Baha’i writings and prayers I was raised with. The Baha’i Faith has a rich mystical heritage and also teaches that music is ‘a ladder for the soul.’”
Dr. James Mellon, Global Truth Center LA’s founder, invited Kerr to perform there in the autumn. “Not only is he an amazing singer with a style uniquely his own, his lyrics and melodies are deeply infectious and inspiringly touching.”
“I love songs that transcend barriers of age, culture, or taste, because for me music has this incredible potential to unite and connect people,” muses Kerr. “My latest song, ‘You’re Amazing’ is really simple. People of all ages seem to connect with it.”
Other tracks include: “Not in Stores,” “Little Screens,” “The Update,” “A Little Longer,” and his take on Bruce Cockburn’s “Lovers in a Dangerous Time.”
Sweet folksy ballads or powerful anthems, Kerr’s originality is evident — hypnotic in raw sound and profound message. Kerr has opened for Canadian songstress Sarah McLachlan and she describes his voice as “pristine, measured, and beautiful.”
Kerr’s storytelling is universal and memorable. Be sure to catch him when he’s next in town.
This article is a part of the 2018 Dec / Jan issue of Whole Life Times.