Martin Rossiter
{{Short description|Welsh singer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Martin Rossiter
| caption =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1970|5|15}}
| origin =
| instrument = Vocals, keyboards, piano
| genre =
| occupation = Singer, educator
| years_active = 1994–present
| associated_acts = Gene
| past_member_of = Gene
| website = {{URL|martinrossiter.bandcamp.com}}
}}
Martin Rossiter (born 15 May 1970) is a Welsh singer,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02s49c8 |title=Martin Rossiter, Wales' Greatest Living Voice |publisher=BBC Radio Wales |access-date=15 November 2016}} who was lead singer of the British indie band Gene from 1993 until its break-up in 2004.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gene-p141622/biography |title=Gene Biography |first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |website=AllMusic |accessdate=30 January 2011}} He released a solo album in 2012.{{Cite news |url=http://www.clashmusic.com/features/their-library-martin-rossiter |title=Their Library: Martin Rossiter |date=30 November 2012 |website=Clash |access-date=15 November 2016}}
Career
Though Gene was labelled as a Britpop band, Rossiter was never happy being included in the genre saying, "It was played out under the dirty shadow of the union flag which I always found quite distasteful. I never had any desire to represent Great Britain. At the time I said that I regarded myself as European rather than British. I'm a Socialist and I've always felt very uncomfortable with the idea of nationalism because it can be a very dangerous thing."{{Cite web |url=http://sabotagetimes.com/music/genes-martin-rossiter-interviewed-pulp-and-blur-can-fck-off-to-butlins |title=Gene's Martin Rossiter Interviewed: "Pulp And Blur Can F*ck Off To Butlins" |last=Wilde |first=Jon |date=24 November 2012 |website=Sabotage Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427090730/http://sabotagetimes.com/music/genes-martin-rossiter-interviewed-pulp-and-blur-can-fck-off-to-butlins |archive-date=27 April 2019 |url-status=dead}} He recorded four albums with the band between 1995 and 2001, and performed live until 2004.{{Cite web |url=http://www.irresponsiblerecordings.com/roster/martin-rossiter/ |title=Martin Rossiter |publisher=Irresponsible Recordings |access-date=15 November 2016}}
In addition to writing and recording as a solo artist, he is also a member of the band Call Me Jolene,{{Cite web |url=https://badbunnybitesback.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/call-me-jolene-at-the-green-door-store/ |title=Call Me Jolene at The Green Door Store |date=13 March 2012 |website=Bad Bunny Bites Back. |access-date=15 November 2016}} which released the four-track May EP in 2013.{{Cite web |url=https://callmejolene.bandcamp.com/album/may-ep |title=May EP, by Call Me Jolene |publisher=Call Me Jolene |website=Bandcamp |access-date=15 November 2016}} He works as a music teacher for British and Irish Modern Music Institute,{{Cite web |last=Kendall |first=James |date=30 January 2013 |title= Martin Rossiter Interview |url=http://brightonsource.co.uk/features/martin-rossiter-interview/ |access-date=15 November 2016 |website=Brighton Source}} and artist development officer at Access to Music.{{Cite web |title=AD4 Martin Rossiter |url=https://vimeo.com/72038635 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529103027/https://vimeo.com/72038635 |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 May 2016 |access-date=15 November 2016 |via=Vimeo}}
In 2011, Rossiter made his solo live debut in Brighton, where he performed new material,{{Cite web |url=https://martinrossiter.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-unitarian-church |title=Live at The Unitarian Church |publisher=Martin Rossiter|website=Bandcamp |access-date=15 November 2016}} which was later released as Live at the Unitarian Church.{{Cite news |url=http://louderthanwar.com/martin-rossiter-live-at-the-unitarian-church-brighton-album-review/ |title=Martin Rossiter 'Live at the Unitarian Church, Brighton' – album review |date=7 May 2013 |newspaper=Louder Than War |access-date=15 November 2016}} His first solo album, The Defenestration of St Martin, was released on 3 December 2012 on the Drop Anchor Music label.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/9wzb |title=Martin Rossiter The Defenestration of St. Martin Review |work=BBC Music |first=David |last=Quantick |date=23 November 2012 |accessdate=2 December 2012}} He wrote most of the songs on piano over a five-year period and financed the record through crowd-funding.{{Cite news |url=http://louderthanwar.com/martin-rossiter-interview-by-fergal-kinney/ |title=Martin Rossiter Interview |last=Kinney |first=Fergal |date=20 February 2013 |newspaper=Louder Than War |access-date=15 November 2016}} Rossiter embarked on a UK tour in support of the album.{{Cite news |url=http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4145747-record-labels-are-run-by-deviants-moral-vacuums-in-mid-priced-suits-dis-meets-martin-rossiter |title="Record Labels are run by deviants. Moral vacuums in mid-priced suits" – DiS meets Martin Rossite r|last=Burrows |first=Marc |date=19 November 2012|newspaper=Drowned in Sound |access-date=15 November 2016 |archive-date=16 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116015726/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4145747-record-labels-are-run-by-deviants-moral-vacuums-in-mid-priced-suits-dis-meets-martin-rossiter |url-status=dead}} It was followed in 2014 by a live album accompanied by a DVD entitled Live at Bush Hall.{{Cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Martin-Rossiter-Live-At-Bush-Hall/release/5685419 |title=Martin Rossiter – Live at Bush Hall |website=Discogs |access-date=15 November 2016}}
On 26 August 2019, Rossiter announced a farewell show with full band, performing a one-off career-closing set spanning all areas of Gene and his solo work. The show was originally scheduled to take place on 13 June 2020 at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, but it was repeatedly rescheduled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually took place at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on 20 November 2021, after a one-off warm-up show at Concorde 2 in Brighton on 11 November 2021.
Rossiter came out of retirement to participate in a charity fundraising show for Ukrainian refugees. A Night For Ukraine had a bill of music acts and comedians and took place on 22 March 2022 at the Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Personal life
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rossiter, Martin}}
Category:People educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys
Category:21st-century Welsh male singers
Category:Welsh LGBTQ songwriters
Category:Welsh male songwriters