How do we detach shame from our desires? How can we live in the discomfort of hiding our longing? Only Child, the musical project of songwriter Christopher James Martin, asks and seeks to answer those questions on debut EP Srs One, set for May 2023 release through producer Casey Desmond’s Jungle Up Records. The EP is led by the bouncing electro-pop single “Don’t Call Me BB”, a campy kiss off anthem with a chorus that’s impossible to forget, and sassy synth-pop follow-up “Defeater.” Try to resist the temptation to send either to your ex. They’re just not worth your time.
Inspired by queer-fronted pop acts Tegan and Sara, Erasure, Shamir, and Christine and the Queens, Only Child combines ambient instrumentation with vocal hooks to craft sweet and sour pop songs. “‘Don’t Call Me BB’ started with a straightforward beat I learned at summer camp, an otherwise miserable experience for me,” says Martin. “It was one of the first times I thought about music in an obsessive way, which was the beginning of my relationship with songwriting.”
After singing about the nuances of modern relationships in Boston band All Eyes on Me, Only Child is forging a new path ahead, glazed in beats and treats with personal compositions written from the heart. From collaborating with Boston’s synth-pop queen Casey Desmond to assembling his own “butch band” for the “Don’t Call Me BB” music video, Only Child is both personal and collaborative. But it’s purely Only Child. “I want there to be a space for my songs that was more lighthearted, more upbeat, even if they might be lyrically similar to the songs I wrote for All Eyes on Me,” Martin adds.
With Srs One, Only Child is making that space on his own terms.
Every song is slightly different; sometimes I start with a riff or some chords on the guitar that sticks with me. I usually need to play that over and over for a long time, like a few months, before I can come up with some type of melody to sing on top of it. Other times, I start right away in my DAW putting together drums, synths, and vocal loops until a song forms. Every so often that process can be accelerated and I will write the majority of the song in one sitting. Weirdly enough, those tend to be my favorite tunes! Lyrics tend to be the last thing I finish after a lot of editing to make sure what I want to say is coming out clearly.
I do think a live version should be a different experience from the recorded version. I think if you worry too much about what a song will sound like live when you are writing or recording it can hinder the creative process and limit what you can accomplish. What I love about playing with Only Child is subverting expectations. I play solo but use tracks to fill out my sound, which I think makes me a unique performer. When I load in by myself, I think a lot of people expect to hear something quiet and confessional, then are surprised by a fuller pop performance. The tracks make it harder to differentiate too much from the original structure of the song, but I try to find moments of improvisation within them.
Only Child is a newer project that has started mostly in the pandemic, so I’m focusing more on releasing music and getting my name out there. Please book me on your Summer Tour though! My other band toured around New England. The best thing I like about playing shows in new places for unfamiliar faces is the chance to win over someone or find like-minded people and new listeners. I can’t think of any ‘worst’ shows off the top of my head but I feel like any show with subpar sound or technical difficulties really stresses me out, especially when I’m relying on the tracks to fill out my sound.
My EP comes out May 26. I’m playing the Acton Pride Festival on June 17, which I’m looking forward to. Then a show at the Jungle on July 8. I’m going to be working on my first LP over the summer. Also I’m playing the Hope Fest in Salem in September, which I’m super excited for! Thanks for the questions!