Amy Martin has no need for hiding. Growing up in Harrisonburg, Va. as a queer Christian, Martin felt isolated from the community she loved so much. Martin’s album, Travelin’ On, is being released as a series of singles from now until January 2023. It focuses on reconciling that love with the rejection of others, and what it means to leave that place to pursue one’s dreams.
After moving to Denver in 2021, Martin set to work becoming a part of the local scene. But for her upcoming album, she knew she needed to head back to the Shenandoah. With Chance McCoy (Old Crow Medicine Show) at the helm, the album is a celebration of Appalachian traditions and modern insights.
Martin’s new song, “Dance With You,” documents the beginnings of a new love. Martin’s soaring voice asks the listener to overcome the pain of previous heartbreaks and open herself to something new.
“I wrote this track in October of last year (2021) on the same night that my now partner, Paige, and I were hanging out getting to know one another,” Martin tells The Boot. “She had expressed to me that the one time she thought she had found true love was with someone who used to spontaneously dance with her. As I was listening to her pain, I shared that I grew up spontaneously slow dancing with my dad and that I had tried to do so with my ex-wife while we were still married but that sooner than later, she stopped dancing with me.”
This connection got the wheels turning for Martin.
“I immediately went home and wrote this song for Paige. This is the first song I have ever written on piano. When I was finished, I read over the lyrics and I realized that if I were to sing this song in first person, that this song was just as much for me as it was for her. This song was a moment of healing, acceptance and being ‘with’ another person exactly where they are. Paige and I really saw each other that night and it resulted in the making of this song and the beginning of our love. The rest is history.”
Videographer Kelsey Arneson captures Martin’s intensity in the studio, focusing on her playing keys. The passionate and emotional performance is as spine-tingling as the intimacy of the video.
You can learn more about Amy Martin and her upcoming album, along with information on upcoming tour dates, by visiting her official website.
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