Martin Luke Brown’s “elsie” and Childhood Nostalgia
Reflecting on one’s childhood can be quite a bittersweet experience, as Martin Luke Brown’s latest single proves. Beginning with the sound of birds chirping before smoothly transitioning into Brown singing and playing the acoustic guitar, “elsie” evokes feelings of calm nostalgia as the listener joins Brown on his journey, reminiscing his childhood. The track is a tribute to the singer-songwriter’s hometown, with the title being inspired by the initials for Leicester (LC).
Listen to “elsie” below:
Brown further discusses the story behind “elsie,”
“I always wanted to write a song about my life in Leicester. Not like a love song as such, but reflecting on it all. There’s a lyric in an Ethan Gruska song, ‘The Valley,’ that I love; ‘if childhood defines you, can it ever be behind you?’ I wanted to take that idea and run with it. I am who I am because of that era of my life, and it’s been nearly 10 years since I left.”
Martin Luke Brown explores feelings of love, loss, and belonging through his lyricism, delivered with a sentimental and soothing vocal. The lyrics tell the story of events during Brown’s childhood and how they shaped his life. One example is, “Coca-cola never tasted sweeter/ Then riding on the 26 bus home/ To find out that my folks were broken people/ Now I hate Coke/ But god, I love my mom.” He also describes how his childhood memories always stayed with him, as he sings, ” While I moved on by you/ Never really left me did you.” Overall, the track perfectly captures the tumultuous emotions when thinking back to the life one grew up with, especially as Brown repeats at the end of the song, “Still trying to figure it out at 27.”
“elsie” is one track from Martin Luke Brown’s debut album, damn, look at the view! out on May 19th, and as Brown explains,
“This was the first song from the album project that I wrote, and it really set the tone in terms of theme – that reflective, nostalgic mood really felt correct for where I’m at now in my life.”
To stay up to date on Martin Luke Brown’s music, follow him on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. In the meantime, make sure to pre-order damn, look at the view! here.
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