Martyn Cuthbert’s masterpiece of an album, Shoulda.Coulda.Woulda., came out earlier this summer and has already had over 7,000 well-deserved streams on Spotify. With catchy hooks and highly personal lyrics, it’s full of hard-hitting rock songs that can easily be played over and over. I talked with Martyn to learn more about this awesome album and the creative mind behind it.
Uncle Funkbeard: First, let’s talk about the title of this album: Shoulda.Coulda.Woulda.
Martyn Cuthbert: It’s about what I should have done, what I could have done, and what I would have done. It’s a reflection of my life and how I make sense of it all. In my own words.
UF: The cover art is striking!
MC: There's an important lyric in “Raiders of the Night” from the album that says “We're all dressed up and got no-where to go.” The man in the suit symbolizes that. It's about being ready to go always. The red circle in the middle is those who are critical to me and the dark circle above are the ones who are no longer with us and are looking over me. The red and black coloring symbolizes the dark and colorful side of my character. The album cover was done using an AI generator which was tweaked to get exactly what I wanted and it’s just how I imagined it would be.
UF: Shoulda.Coulda.Woulda. seems to be doing incredibly well on Spotify. What’s the most successful song so far?
MC: “Strings of Life” is the most popular with streaming/shares and radio play. I think it's a song that people can relate to. It's a celebration of unity and overcoming any problems that may arise. It wasn't until I was finishing off the album, I realized that it was the perfect fit as I was looking for something more anthemic/personal. So, I recorded it in a day and it made the album.
The song was originally written for my wife for our 10-year wedding anniversary. At that point I was too scared to let her or anyone hear my music.
UF: Congratulations on over a decade of marriage!
MC: My wife of almost 12 years is called Jamie and I have two daughters called Piper (7) and Remy (4). I am a father and a husband first and foremost.
UF: With the talent evident on this album, I’m surprised you were nervous about letting anyone hear you. How long have you been making music?
MC: I have been writing songs/music all my life but I have only began recording over the past three years. I have always been a guitarist, which has always been my main passion. I can also play bass and keyboards. I produce all my own music so I am a dab hand at music production and midi. I have no formal training whatsoever and I am self-taught on the guitar, mainly by just listening to music and copying what I hear. I've always had a good ear but if I get into a technical conversation with a proper musician then I'm lost.
I dabbed in a couple of bands at a very young age. But there has been a large gap in my musical career as I was a chef and had a demanding job working unsociable hours for many years. Unfortunately, my guitar and writing took to the backburner for far too long. I had always dreamed of picking it back up again and never thought I would. With a bit of luck and a job change - I currently work for my local council managing a large-scale production kitchen - I'm now able to afford the time get it done.
UF: “Lions Den” is my favorite track off the album. The hook is super catchy and the song rocks. I especially like the line “Let’s do the Locomotion, what does that even mean?”
MC: “Lions Den” was a combination of a dream and a few things that happened the next day. The lyric you refer to was when I was driving to work and Kylie Minogue was on the radio singing “Let's do the locomotion again” and I was thinking what the f*ck is she talking about? What does that even mean?
The lyrics came to me pretty easy as I was trying to describe some of my dream and combine it with how I was feeling. I think I had a lot on in my life and felt as if I was getting flung into situations at the deep end, i.e., the lions’ den. I did actually wake up screaming from that dream so it was an easy lyric to find. The song is very much about being put in an uncomfortable position and having to overcome it.
UF: You featured Wesley Scott, who I only know from the high-energy rock song “Bare the Burden,” playing keyboards on your haunting track “Tell Them.” How did that come about?
MC: Wesley Scott has a lot to do with everything I've done as he gave me the confidence to get my music out there. Truth be told if it wasn't for him, it wouldn't be out. To have him work his magic on “Tell Them” was an honor for me.
He did everything pretty much in one take and heard things in the song I would never have thought of. I used to watch him in his band Middleman when I was a young lad and to get to work with him later in life is amazing. He also provided bass and keys on “Strings of Life,” which again brought the song alive. He is also getting roped into every other future recording I produce as his skills are too good not to utilize.
UF: I really enjoyed the video you made for this song, too.
MC: The video was great fun to record and was great to see Wesley in it so invested in making it right. the same goes to Scoot, our drummer in Wesley's band, who was the camera man. Couldn't have done it without both of them. They both gave up their time for me and it will always be appreciated.
UF: What’s next for Martyn Cuthbert?
MC: At the moment I'm working on recording Wesley's new songs, producing and laying guitars down. My next single also should be ready within the next month. It’s called “The Ballad of Ravey Jones.” It’s a song about living the high life while still functioning in your day-to-day life. I have a book of songs that I will be working through so I should be recording and releasing a song every month or so for the time being. In the new year I am planning a few collaborations and some quirky covers.
UF: Has the success of the album changed how you feel about letting others listen to your music? Do you have any advice for other indie musicians who might have their own fears?
MC: My advice is simple - just do your thing. Write the purest form of yourself, you don't need to follow others. It’s all about YOUR music. My mindset is very much just letting everything out my head, my way. The music is for me and it’s my art. If someone else enjoys it along the way then great!
Follow Martyn Cuthbert at linktr.ee/martyncuthbert.