Tim Hughes meets Oxford's Ella Martini, a soulful singer-songwriter on the rise

Ella Martini breaks into a broad grin as she describes how she has come from unknown Oxford teenager to one of the country’s freshest new talents.

In a few short years, the singer, still only 19, has gone from performing at school talent shows to supporting her heroes and headlining her own packed-out shows. And the reason? That voice.

“Everything is amazing,” she says, as we sit at a wobbly table in the glamorous surroundings of an otherwise empty Oxford Times canteen.

“Music is a big part of me and, without sounding overly-clichéd, I’m happiest when writing, performing and being listened to.

“I started off doing this in school and have been getting on stage since I was 15, so I feel that I’m ready for all the things that are happening now. But I am still finding and shaping my sound and performing more and more of my own songs.”

The Botley girl admits she has always wanted to be a star. But while others may forget their dreams to take up jobs or university places, she has never lost sight of that vision. And, more importantly, it’s paying off.

Propelled into the limelight at 15 after getting through to the finals of the UK Live and Unsigned contest, she has now clocked up hundreds of gigs under her shiny belt. Blending soul, pop and urban styles, her voice has captivated audiences and industry insiders. She won London’s Pardon My Talent competition after impressing judges from Island Records and the singer Jacob Banks, won over crowds at Oxfordshire’s Truck Festival and Gloucestershire’s Barn on the Farm, and has supporting chart-topping singer and Clean Bandit collaborator Jess Glynne, dance-pop singer-songwriter MNEK, and Nizlopi’s Luke Concannon.

More impressively still, she joined the bill for Sam Smith’s Summer series show at Somerset House and was selected by the MOBO Awards for the final of their UnSung Competition. Her debut single You was played on BBC Radio 1, and her follow-up, the double single Dealing With This and Story, was premiered on BBC Radio 1xtra.

“I’ve been described as urban, r&b and soul,” she says, when I ask her to describe her sound.

“But I am also a singer-songwriter. People really need to hear me to know.” Confident yet charming, she has a wisdom beyond her years and is sassy enough to get where she wants on her own terms.

Growing up in a musical family, Ella admits it was impossible not to get drawn into performing.

Her half-Italian father, George, is a well-known local zumba instructor and her childhood was immersed in music.

“There’s a lot of music in my family,” she smiles. “My dad is a real boost of energy, and I love him. He taught me to dance when I was six, so there’s a lot of music in my life. I grew up listening to his Latin and soul collection and he introduced me to some great music. My parents are very supportive, and my brother Harry also plays guitar. When he was younger we’d jam together. .

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“But it was getting through to the finals of Live and Unsigned that made me want to perform more and helped to shape me into an artist.”

Surely it was nerve-wracking appearing before an audience and a panel of judges? “It was bloody scary!” she laughs. “I was still in school, and no one in my friendship group had ever done anything like that before. But it’s the kind of thing you only get to do once in a blue moon — and a great experience.”

What have been the highlights of her sharp ascent to inevitable future stardom? “I have enjoyed my first summer of festivals,” she says. “Playing Truck was really cool and it was nice to go there for the first time as a performer. The crowd was really positive and everyone enjoyed it. Somerset House was also great. I’m a big fan of Sam Smith, so it was cool to see him. The same for MNEK and Jess Glynne, and being interviewed on 1xtra.”

On Saturday she plays a headline gig at the Art Bar (still known to most people as the Bullingdon Arms — or ‘Bully’).

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“I am really proud to be playing this gig,” she says. “Playing live is when I feel most comfortable and happy as that’s how I started off.

“I’m looking forward to it. It will be a great night with a whole new set, including three new songs which I have never performed before.”

The night will feature a mix of mash-ups of favourite covers and more of her own material, all of it inspired by real events.

“All emotions are there!” she says. “My songs are like a diary. They let people get to know me as a person.”

But how much experience does a 19-year-old have to write about? Lots apparently. “I actually feel grateful when I go through something that’s worth writing about as it allows me to open up to situations. It’s a real compliment when people say they relate to my lyrics.

“A few of my songs are about men,” she goes on. “But most are about situations women go through. It’s about things happening to me and how I develop in a situation and become a fuller person.

“And yes, I have had my heart broken. Everyone does, but mine just came early.”

Ella — who studied at Eynsham’s Bartholomew School and Abingdon College — doesn’t necessarily consider herself an ‘Oxford artist’.

“It’s funny,” she laughs. “When people learn you’re from Oxford, they expect you to turn up in a bowler hat or have a posh accent. Of course it’s not like that. People don’t need to know I’m from Oxford. If I have Oxford fans, it’s brilliant, but having any fans is brilliant.”

But she adds: “There’s a lot of music in Oxford including a great urban scene.”

It’s also where she has all her friends. “I’ve had the same friends all my life. They are very supportive and enjoy coming along to shows,” she says. “It’s nice to have them along — and they know all the words!”

“I wasn’t sure how people would take to my music,” she says, as we leave. “I love it when people say I’m doing really well, but I feel I am just starting out. I have passed some fantastic milestones but there are millions more I want to reach — and I am always thinking of things I want to do, and places I want to go.

“You are always going to have things that hold you back.

“But if you know where you want to go you shouldn’t let anything stop you.”

Ella Martini
The Art Bar, Oxford 
Saturday 
Tickets £5 from transmissionmusicgroup.com