Francisco Martin demands to be heard with his new single and video Nobody Listens To Me! — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
After his first-ever tour and a clutch of well-received singles, the L.A.-based pop singer-songwriter and producer had an all-consuming yearning to be his authentic self in his music. He worked feverishly in his apartment at all hours of the night while facing complaints from the neighbors. He now emerges with his first true artistic statement, the upcoming six-song EP Manic, a bold collection of emotionally-raw pop-rock.
The disc’s first single Nobody Listens To Me! is an exhilarating anthem, brimming with dreamy electro-pop ambience, angry and angular guitars, pounding beats, and get-it-off-your-chest songwriting. Before the recording session for the song, Francisco was feeling down about his music, and even considered canceling. His co-producer Nick Sarpa rallied him into being creative, and the pair channeled his emotions into song. “It’s easy to feel like what you do doesn’t matter and people don’t take you seriously, but making this song helped me get out of a bad headspace. I hope when people hear it, it does the same for them,” he says.
Francisco’s dreamy falsetto, and robust belting are present throughout Manic, but the songs themselves represent a new era of liberated creativity. The release bursts with dynamic musicality — stately balladry, cathartic, grungy aggression, catchy EDM, and moments of soulful serenity. Throughout the EP, Francisco bravely shares personal reflections on mental health, relationships, angst, and human disconnection in the age of connection. “This EP is close to my heart. I know it’s a risky move, but this is my truth. As long as I am an artist, I will continue to push the limits,” he says. “I am not afraid to share what is in my heart with brash honesty. I want to push boundaries. People see one version of me, and I want them to see all of me. I am ready to come out of my shell as an artist and show who I really am as a person.”
Francisco first shot to fame with American Idol season 18 in 2020, when he placed Top 5. From there, he quickly released a few singles before embarking on a fall coast-to-coast tour. His heart-on-sleeve soulful pop has garnered favorable comparisons to songwriter artists such as James Bay, John Mayer, Maggie Rogers and Ed Sheeran. To date, Francisco has released several hit singles, including Swollen, which has amassed close to 8 million streams across all DSPS (6 million on Spotify) and If U Need Me.
Francisco was born and raised in the Bay Area into a musically fertile household. His father was a fan of rock bands, his mother favored singer-songwriters, and his brother loved soul music. At the age of 9, Francisco started singing and playing drums before going onto master guitar, piano, and several additional instruments. In high school, Francisco became enamored a self-producing renditions of his favorite songs, and posting those on SoundCloud, where he became a buzzed-about local artist.
Manic was made during a three-month pause after he was thrust in the public eye, and he finally had a chance to gather his thoughts as an artist. It was created by Francisco and his co-producer/good friend Sarpa in Francisco’s apartment studio setup. The sleekly sensual EP is lavished with electro-textures, rugged beats, crystalline piano, ultra-catchy pop hooks, sexy pop, and moments of yell-in-the-deep-valley catharsis.
It’s been a transformative journey of reclamation for Francisco as he unapologetically shares his true artistic self with the milestone release Manic. The EP is raw, relatable, and, most importantly, real. Francisco says: “This EP is something I cherish — I found my path with this one.”
Watch the video for Nobody Listens To Me! and the official EP teaser video above, hear more from Francisco Martin below, and find him at his website, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
