Let’s write his name down and light it up because Martti Franca is taking up the spaces in our hearts! An independent singer-songwriter, Martti Franca creates intimate indie-pop folk music that comes from his personal experience. The rawness of the emotions in his songs has penetrated the hearts of many, as experienced in his hits Spaces and Things She’ll Never Know. The talented artist has so much more to share other than his emotional songs—his advocacy for mental health and financial independence of indie artists, his story with music, and advice for aspiring musicians.

Martti Franca’s passion for music started in the fourth grade when he was given a guitar by his uncle, who joked that it’ll help him be popular with the ladies. What started as a light-hearted joke turned into a serious passion for Martti. Starting learning from popular hits songbooks, he slowly found his own sound as an artist. He began to write songs when he was in high school, finding inspiration from artists like John Meyer and AJ Rafael. For him, the best song that he’s released is San Francisco, which touches on his personal struggles.

For aspiring artists, Martti has a lot of advice to give. On the business side of things, Martti strongly encourages musicians to read the contract carefully, as they could be taken advantage of by record labels.

“There are a lot eh, like with management contracts and distribution contracts and production contracts. I just really highly recommend reading it kasi you could lose the rights to your personality, you could lose the rights to controlling your social media, and you could lose the rights to owning your song. So, before you sign anything, especially when you’re starting out, really understand the value that you have, and think about your future, and think about what you really want for yourself,” he shares.

He also encourages artists to try out different things with their music, in terms of songwriting, performing, and promoting. He advises musicians to find their safe space in music, where they feel free to explore their own sound. Keep writing, keep feeling, and experience things—this is what Martti Franca’s advice for aspiring musicians is.

To learn more about Martti Franca and the business music, check out his podcast episode on The Indiependent Collective, available on Spotify.