Album Notes

Elvis has Colonel Tom Parker, the Beatles had Brian Epstein. Martine Locke has.....well, Martine Locke. This Australian singer/songwriter/guitarist is a one-woman operation: publicist, manager, booking agent,record label owner, visionary, producer and artist.

Dividing her time between the US and Australia, Martine has toured with Ani DiFranco and rocked the stage with The Cowboy Junkies, Arlo Guthrie and Luka Bloom. In a scene that is packed with unoriginal four chord flops, Martine reaches well outside with a more independent, passionate perspective on music. Her music is "so powerful that it
demands attention". And while the Ani comparison is there, she also shares vocal qualities with Melissa Etheridge or the Indigo Girls.

Musically she travels far in the folk-rock world. Some tunes will remind you of Counting Crows and others will bring in that Alanis Morissette association, with a sting of Carol King sneaking in here and there.

She also applies do-it-yourself ethics with all the work she churns out. Her first solo album, released in 1994, was completely self produced and sold over 8,000 copies in her native country - an impressive hurdle for a solo musician on any island.

In 1996 Martine started a highly respected acoustic duo called The Velvet Janes. They released four albums on
Martine's record label 'Passionfruit Produce, which have sold more than 80,000 copies to date.

2003 saw Martine releasing her second solo album FLY across the US and the beginnings of a highly successful touring schedule throughout the country to follow up on the radio success of that album.

2005 brings the release of her third album 'On The Verge' featuring 10 new solo and band tunes. Songs that are fiery, intimate and fun. Martine is backed on this album by musicians such as Julie Wolf (Ani DiFranco, Bruce Cockburn, Dar Williams), Trina Hamlin, Deb Lane and Chad Heise (Box Set Band) and features a duet with her Velvet Janes cohort, Rose Parker.

'On The Verge' is a wonderful collection of tunes that showcases Martine's songwriting and vocal performances and takes her to another level yet again. Honest, straight forward and intensely independent, Martine Locke has done it again.

'Well, you've done it! You made the kind of record that makes you keep driving around the block 'cause you want to keep listening. ' S. Jaffess, Chicago, IL

'Your voice...your playing...your songs. I feel like you have gone to a whole new level. Wow.' C. Caston, San Francisco, CA