Lee Martin Performs Feel: 13th Floor Singles Session
Ōtautahi-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Lee Martin performs Feel, the first single from her upcoming fourth studio album, set to drop later this year.
The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda sat down with Lee to find out the story behind the song…and then we were treated to this beautiful live performance.
The single is just out…here is more about it:
A raw and intimate exploration of the landscape of emotional health and psychological wellbeing, FEEL is an honest, delicate dive into the human psyche of depression and mental health.
Written from the perspective of someone caught in a familiar cycle, Feel maps the searching for relief through substances or external escapes, chasing moments of numbness or connection, only to be met with the deeper lows and consequences that follow.
A restrained indie-soul tune combines raw, confessional vocals with cinematic space to create a song which captures that quiet, exhausting internal loop – the wanting to feel something, anything – and the desperate struggle to break free.
The accompanying music video reflects this inner struggle through a mixed lens of intense vulnerability and self-destructive behaviours, visually exploring our darkest spaces and inviting the viewer to sit with the feeling, rather than escape it.
Musically restrained, yet emotionally potent, ‘Feel’ signals a new chapter in Martin’s song-writing, which sees this talented artist more exposed, more present, and clearly unafraid to sit with discomfort. Reflecting a growing maturity in her work, Martin’s song-writing offers empathy rather than answers as she holds space for those who know and feel the burdensome weight and loneliness of living inside their own head.
The South African-born, New Zealand-based singer is well known for her soul-rich voice, cinematic storytelling, and genre-fluid sound that moves effortlessly between folk, indie-soul, Americana, blues and country-soul.
Martin’s previous album, 2024’s Dreamers Dawn, debuted at #5 on the Official Aotearoa Music Charts, and was widely praised for its emotional depth and sonic ambition. Her sophomore release Gypsy Soul (2021) debuted in the NZ Top 20, receiving international radio and press attention, with acclaimed single ‘What if I Die’ named Muzic.nz’s Top Single of 2021, shortlisted at the NZ Cinematography Awards, and playlisted on CMT Australia and Ditty TV (USA).
Known for her captivating live performances and deep connection with listeners through her fearless honesty, Lee Martin continues to establish herself as one of New Zealand’s most compelling and emotionally resonant artists.
With Feel, Martin maintains that connection with her emotional intelligence and openness. While she doesn’t offer easy solutions, she offers recognition, compassion, and the quiet reminder that you’re not alone in the cycle.
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