Not everyone finds their way to their passions straight out of the gate. For Kristen Martell of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, it took her music career a little extra time to percolate as things took a back burner to the demands of raising a family and maintaining a career – neither of which fit comfortably into a touring lifestyle. That finally culminated in 2018 when Martell got back into the habit of song-writing – with “We Learn” emerging as her debut single.
Martell echoes the sentiments of Alanis Morissette’s 1995 hit, “You Learn” from Jagged Little Pill – a cheery bit of wisdom that suggests life is supposed to knock you around a bit, what else would you be here?
“I wrote this song at a time when I needed to shovel through the hard pan of my unconscious mind,” Martell explains. “I questioned everything.”
Martell describes the process of reconnecting with this form of self- expression as resulting in “a huge burst of inspiration” and the beginnings of an album. What emerged was catharsis. After all, Martell was essentially distilling a significant portion of her life into a lyrical narrative.
“You push through for their sake,” sings Martell, “It leaves you empty in the wake.” The song makes some deeply cryptic allusions, buried in her own history. Given the generally upbeat nature of the song it’s almost impossible to unravel exactly where the meaning of those lines could be aimed at, with Martell clearly enjoying a luxury of ambiguity that leaves the song open to wide interpretations from the listener.
“We Learn” will appear as part of Martell’s forthcoming yet-to-be-named album which is set for release sometime in early 2020.
Tour Dates:
12.06.19 – Salisbury, NB @ Gary’s Pub
02.01.20 – Halifax, NS @ The Carleton
02.09.20 – Lunenburg, NS @ Ironworks Distillery
02.15.20 – Lunenburg, NS @ Ironworks Distillery
02.22.20 – Lunenburg, NS @ Ironworks Distillery