It's called “If I were” the new song by Martha May which explores one of the most common and exhausting dynamics of the human condition: the risk of being trapped in a time that doesn't exist. Through a continuous game of hypotheses (“if I were”, “if I had”, “if only I had”…), the song photographs that psychological limbo tense between the ghosts of the past – the things not done or the missed presences – and the projections of an ideal future never experienced. It is not necessarily an autobiographical piece, but rather a universal story that anyone can relate to.
The artist, who entirely signed both the text and the music, depicts with delicate firmness the widespread tendency to live according to what could have been, a habit that inevitably ends up impacting and weighing on our present.
The philosophical heart of the song finds its turning point in the concept “he who quits wins”. This verse, which closely recalls the famous song of the same name by Niccolò Fabi – an author to whom the artist is particularly attached -, takes the form of a real mantra, an invitation addressed primarily to herself. Let go of a dead-end thought in fact, it means learning to distance ourselves from our own projections and from the mental condemnations that we often inflict on ourselves.
In a world that pushes us to constantly search for a culprit, the final message of “If I Were” is a liberating act of peace: to truly feel good we don't need to point the finger at anyone, nor at others, nor at ourselves. “If I were” thus becomes not just a song, but a path of acceptance and an invitation to defuse regrets and return to breathing the only time truly available to us: the present.
“Writing a song for me means putting my thoughts in order, giving voice to an “ideal self” that pushes me in a different direction from the place I am in and which, despite everything, helps me remain solid on the ground. Since I started taking care of my arrangements I began to perceive my music in a new way and, if I'm honest, I wasn't even sure I wanted to share this song: I now felt it distant, almost “old” compared to where I am today and compared to my new pieces. At first I was afraid that publishing it would mean taking a step back, then I understood that it is essential to remember where you started from, accept your path and give it value. Making music also means this: dealing with something changeable and never graspable, accepting the photograph of a past moment which however remains immortalized forever. Today, even though time has passed with respect to these songs which, paradoxically, have yet to be shared online, I feel that deciding to publish them is the necessary piece of a story, because I love them reminds me that wherever we decide to go or wherever we have gone, it is never too late to return home.”
MARTA MAY
Martha May he began his musical journey between 2010 and 2015, years in which he gained experience as a backing vocalist in the studio and on tour, and as a guitarist in the progressive rock band Alnico, with which he worked on arrangements and live activities. The turning point towards solo writing took place in 2019. Following the move to a new city and the conclusion of the group experiences, he began to compose lyrics and music in total autonomy, finding a strong creative drive in solitude. For Marta, music becomes the ideal tool to put order in thoughts, overcome shyness and connect with others in a direct and authentic way. The single “If I were”of which he entirely signs the words and music, represents an important stage in this journey. In parallel with the release of this song, the artist is carrying out the work on new songs: a work in which he has also begun to personally take care of the arrangements, discovering new sounds and an even more personal and constantly evolving musical direction.
https://www.instagram.com/marta_maggio1
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
