Francisco Martin makes his point loud and clear on his new single and video Nobody Listens To Me! — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The lead single from the L.A. singer-songwriter and producer’s debut EP Manic, out July 22, Nobody Listens To Me is an exhilarating anthem, brimming with dreamy electro-pop ambience, angry angular guitars, pounding beats and get-it-off-your-chest songwriting. Fittingly, the video directed by Alexey Figurov finds Martin railing against a suffocating environment, using his music to break free from outside pressures and constraints.
“Nobody Listens To Me! is an anthem for people who feel like they’re lesser than,” Francisco says. “Validation and acceptance is something our generation struggles with, and I wanted to showcase that in the new music video.”
After his first tour and a clutch of well-received singles, Francisco realized he had an all-consuming yearning to be his authentic self in his music. To that end, he worked feverishly in his apartment at all hours while facing complaints from the neighbours. He now emerges with his first true artistic statement, the six-song Manic, a bold collection of emotionally raw pop-rock.
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,” he says. “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. 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.”
Before the recording session for Nobody Listens To Me, 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 first shot to fame with American Idol season 18 in 2020, when he placed in the top five. From there, he released a few singles before embarking on a fall coast-to-coast tour. His heart-on-sleeve soulful pop has garnered favourable 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 eight million streams across all DSPs.
Francisco was born and raised in the Bay Area into a musically fertile household. His father was a fan of rock bands, his mother favoured singer-songwriters, and his brother loved soul music. At the age of nine, Francisco started singing and playing drums before going on to master guitar, piano and several additional instruments. In high school, Francisco became enamoured with self-producing renditions of his favourite 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 Nobody Listens To Me! above, sample more sounds from Francisco Martin below, and keep up with him at his website, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
