EBS STAFF
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Martin Sexton will perform at Big Sky Resort’s Montana Jack on Jan. 26, followed by a special appearance at TEDxBigSky on Jan. 27, at The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center. Both events are productions of Outlaw Partners, the publisher of EBS.
Sexton, whose soulful blend of blues, rock and roll, folk defies easy categorization, released his eighth full-length studio album “Mixtape of the Open Road” in 2015. A musical ode to the cross-country road trip, the album blazes through a changing landscape of style, time and place, unified by what Rolling Stone magazine has called Sexton’s “soul marinated voice.”
A native of Syracuse, New York, Sexton grew up in the ’80s, the 10th of 12 children.
Uninterested in the music of the day, Sexton fueled his dreams with the timeless sounds of classic rock ’n’ roll. As he discovered the dusty old vinyl left in the basement by one of his older brothers, his musical fire was ignited. Sexton eventually migrated to Boston, where he built a following singing on the streets of Harvard Square, gradually making a name for himself in the local music scene. His 1992 collection of self-produced demo recordings, “In the Journey,” was recorded on an old eight-track in a friend’s attic. He managed to sell 20,000 copies out of his guitar case.
From 1996 to 2002 Sexton released “Black Sheep,” “The American,” “Wonder Bar” and “Live Wide Open.” The worldwide touring behind these records laid the foundation for the career he enjoys today. With an especially loyal fan base, Sexton has sold out venues from New York City’s Nokia Theatre to Los Angeles’ House of Blues, and tours regularly across Canada and Europe.
Determinedly independent, Sexton launched his own label, KTR, in 2002. Since then he has infiltrated many musical worlds, from pop (collaborating with John Mayer) to classic rock (collaborating with Peter Frampton); and has performed at a broad spectrum of events and venues that include the Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and Carnegie Hall.
Regardless of his reputation as a musician’s musician, Sexton’s songs can be heard in many feature films and television programs including the NBC series “Scrubs” and “Parenthood,” and the Showtime series “Brotherhood.”
In 2007, Sexton launched his most successful years to date with the release of “Seeds.” The studio album debuted at No. 6 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and a review in the Los Angeles Times read, “call him a soul shouter, a road poet, a folkie or a rocker and you wouldn’t be wrong.”
The live CD/DVD set “Solo,” which features his performance at Denver’s Mile High Festival, followed in 2008.
In 2010, the album “Sugarcoating” showcases this genre-busting troubadour doing what he does best: locating larger truths. After hearing it, NBC news anchor Brian Williams sought Martin out to sit down for an interview backstage at New York City’s Beacon Theatre.
The Warren Miller Performing Arts CenterTickets to Sexton’s intimate Jan. 26 performance at Big Sky Resort’s Montana Jack are available at explorebigsky.com. Tickets for TEDxBigSky go on sale Dec. 1 at tedxbigsky.com.
