Introducing: Tony Martinez! The rising outlaw country artist has released his new single “Crazy” featuring a cameo from Yelawolf and announced his debut full-length album, Everywhere West, will be released on Friday, August 16th via Slumerican. PRESS HERE to listen to “Crazy,” a rollicking tale of heartache and a relationship gone bad, and PRESS HERE to watch the official music video, directed by Patrick Tohill. Everywhere West was co-produced by Martinez and Yelawolf and recorded at three studios in Nashville: East Iris, Darkhorse and Blackbird.
“When I was first hangin’ out with the gal that inspired this song, my buddy Travis Mann jokingly told her to just rip my heart out so I can write a new song because he was sick of all the old ones. Little did I know then it would come to pass and be my first single on my debut album!” laughs Tony. Speaking of Everywhere West, he adds, “This is it! This is the album I’ve been wanting to make my whole life and now I get to share it with the world! This one’s for you, Dad!”
Tony Martinez’s life is comprised of miracles. The lifelong musician, born and raised in Colorado and Phoenix and now based in Nashville, felt a strong connection to music since he was a baby, with the origins of his career tracing back to the age of six when his father, Rick Martinez – who worked a 9-5 job and then played music seven nights a week, organizing the Chuck Wagon Cowboy Supper Show where he performed original music and covers of Western standards and cooked food for the guests – taught Tony how to play guitar. Ma rtinez later taught himself how to play music by ear listening to old Beatles’ and Queen records as well as bluegrass songs. After cutting his teeth in high school in various bands, including a punk rock band that landed on the Warped Tour, Tony got his first big break in 2014 when country star Jake Owen saw Martinez perform and asked him to join Owen’s Days of Gold Tour, where he opened each show with an acoustic set. After that tour, the guitarist and multi-instrumentalist played pedal steel for JP Harris and went on the road with Whitey Morgan, in addition to playing on albums for various artists including Cody Jinks. Martinez experienced another pivotal career moment when he connected with local Nashville legend, rapper Yelawolf, at one of Tony’s bar gigs in Nashville, leading to a longtime friendship and the signing to Yelawolf’s label, Slumerican.
“I found Tony while I was literally walking down Broadway,” shares Yelawolf. “I was smoking a cigarette outside and saw him jamming through the window. I walked in and was glued. There were 4 people in there but might as well have been a hundred thousand the way Tony was giving it his all. It was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. So we became fast friends and fast forward four years later, I was able to facilitate an opportunity for him to record a full-length studio album. We went in and produced this amazing body of work. So here we go, Tony Martinez!”
Featured on Everywhere West performing alongside Martinez’s extraordinary guitars (acoustic and electric) is an elite group of musicians including longtime friend Alex Lyon [bass player for Whitey Morgan and Drayton Farley], Peter Keys [piano and keyboard player for Lynyrd Skynyrd], and Cowboy Eddie Long [legendary steel guitarist who played many years with Jamey Johnson and countless others].
Everywhere West is comprised of 13 songs that capture Martinez’s journey to this current moment including several miracles and overcoming near-death experiences. The album title is a tribute to his father, who wrote the title track many years prior (a song Waylon Jennings almost recorded). But Everywhere West is as much Martinez’s legacy as it is his father’s. At the age of 30, Tony suddenly started to lose his eyesight while on tour with Morgan, causing him to abruptly leave and head home. He was soon diagnosed with a serious case of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), an autoimmune disease that caused his optic nerves to become so inflamed it cut off the images from his eyes to his brain. Though the prognosis was bleak with doctors predicting he’d only have 5 years to live and would ultimately become quadriplegic, Martinez prevailed and returned to Morgan’s tour while battling his fading eyesight. After the tour wrapped, Tony went through intense treatments for months, playing music throughout to help heal. His life changed again when, one night after a show back in Phoenix, he was stung by a scorpion on his right hand and, miraculously, the scorpion venom cured his NMOSD symptoms and his eyesight returned to normal. After overcoming this medical episode, Martinez was soon hit with another – when he faced an opioid addiction during the pandemic, which he thankfully managed to overcome as well.
Tony Martinez is ready to share his life story and original music with the world. While Everywhere West chronicles all phases of his incredible journey, Martinez hopes these songs evoke emotions in listeners so they know they’re not alone in whatever they are facing in life.
