Tacoma, Wash.-native singer/songwriter and Hannah Free musical contributor Vicci Martinez, 27, placed in the top three during the first season of NBC's hit music series The Voice, but homespun hungry fans had been following her work prior to 2005. Now, there is something new to celebrate: the powerhouse dynamo's highly-anticipated debut EP Come Along from Universal Republic Records.
The four-song release features Cee-Lo Green—the coach who helped Martinez buff her stuff for votes on the show. Green and Martinez jointly appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well as the May 2 episode of The Voice in order to promote Come Along before its June 19 street premiere.
The calculated slice of edgy track heaven matches Martinez in her wit and will to keep moving forward in her career as a singer who speaks from the heart—and lives through the soul. The momentum is transparently obvious in the most intriguing way possible and the voice—which viewers remember as she sang Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" on the show—is ever-present.
At first, Martinez had to weigh the pros and cons of waiting more than a year to release her first album under her new label. It was a decision she measured with care.
"The Voice opened up the door to a ton more people," she said. "I feel that with that there is a rush of, 'You're on a show—let's put it [the record] out. Let's put it out.' But I wanted to put out a good record. You run the risk of people forgetting about you if you wait because they remember you from the show, but I wanted to feel confident about the music I put out there."
She added, "Song messages are important to me. You have to consider, 'Do you want to stick around for awhile or put something out later and [possibly] be forgotten?'"
Of the major record label debut, Martinez shared that she's using her newfound celebrity to reach across the divide. "I'm not going to compromise myself. It's important for me to not tell other people what to do, but I can raise awareness and bring that to as many people as possible now that my reach is much larger."
Martinez described her attraction to the EP title track as a reminder to herself—and others—to take a stand.
"Peter [Svensson] and I had written a handful of songs and Martin [Dodd] came to visit and asked if I had heard Peter's song that he had written for this great Swedish artist Tityo," she said. "Peter played it and I fell off the chair and said, 'Why didn't you play it earlier?' This track has never been released in the U.S. and I just fell in love with the lyrics."
The lyrics include the words "Time flies/ Make a statement/ Take a stand."
Martinez added, "I think the lyrics are really important for people today, for all of us, but especially for our generation. We can break the cycle and habits that our society has been stuck in. It is a time of evolution, evolving into our divine, most perfect self. I feel this is a step that I've been trying to take and by singing this song, I'm asking everyone else to come along with me and take a stand."
In the song "I Can Love," Martinez speaks from the place she knows best—her heart: "It is about putting your heart into it. Everything I do is based on love. Sometimes we don't feel our best, and we can let things and people bring us down. This song is about empowerment and to remind us that we do have hearts and we should use them."
In support of the new release, Martinez will be embarking on a U.S./Canadian tour ranging from her hometown of Tacoma to San Francisco to Vancouver, B.C., to her new place of residency—the City of Angels.
"I live in Los Angeles now! I've lived in L.A. since November 2011. It's so great to be here and have a purpose and know that I am doing what I am meant to be doing," Martinez said. "When I moved from Tacoma to L.A. [I thought], 'Why am I doing this?' It was a big deal to me, because I've never lived anywhere else. Without thinking, I came to L.A., and it felt like I left my old life behind. I wondered if I was doing the right thing, and if this was what I needed to be doing, which I now believe was a necessary choice and the right thing to do. I've always put my music first, because it is me and it is my passion."
So, what comes next for the Little Engine That Could?
"Right now I'm working on a video concept for the song 'Come Along.' It is turning out artistic and meaningful. I can't wait for people to see it."
Joining Martinez on the Universal Republic label are 3 Doors Down, Black Sabbath, Colbie Caillat, Eddie Vedder, Enrique Iglesias, Florence + the Machine, Godsmack, Owl City, The Rolling Stones, The Voice (NBC-TV), Gotye, Of Monsters & Men, Mayer Hawthorne, and others.
Martinez will be among former contestants from The Voice (including Cheesa, James Massone and Jamar Rogers) who will join musicians/show judge Cee-Lo Green at the "Voices for Children Benefit" after-party/fundraiser at Excalibur, 632 N. Dearborn St., on Friday, July 27, 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Tickets are $50-$150; see CeeLoVoicesForTheChildren-es2.eventbrite.com . [Note: As of July 19, The Voices for Children event has been postponed until further notice.]
