An interview with Martyn Joseph

·47 min·4 clips

Martyn Joseph describes how visiting a slum in Bangkok at age 27 completely changed his life and music.

The episode begins with hosts Joe and Nick bantering about their early morning recording and introducing the interview with Martyn Joseph. Joe sets up the interview by explaining his connection through friends and his recent deep dive into Joseph's music, praising songs like 'Chapel Porth Beach'. Martyn Joseph then joins, sharing his background from Penarth, Wales, and his early dream of becoming a golfer before focusing on guitar. He describes how music provided an outlet for his shyness and how his initial church audience led to a broader career after disillusionment with certain faith tenets. Joseph recounts a pivotal 1988 trip to Thailand with Tearfund, where encountering poverty in a Bangkok slum fundamentally changed his perspective and music, moving him away from simplistic evangelical messages. He discusses his current faith journey, expressing days of doubt and belief, and references the concept of 'nooms' (numinous moments) that provide glimpses of the divine. Joseph explains his songwriting process, highlighting 'Treasure the Questions' and recent work like 'Chapel Porth Beach', which he wrote over three months for an RNLI commission. He talks about his charity, the Let Yourself Trust, which has given away £750,000 over 10 years. The conversation covers practical aspects of his career, including a punishing tour schedule, the impact of streaming (earning £250 from half a million streams), and his dedication to live performances. Joseph reflects on aging, maintaining fitness, and his artistic evolution, asserting that his current work is his best. The interview concludes with quick-fire questions about dream duets and favorite venues, followed by hosts debriefing on key themes like presence, improvement, and honesty. The episode ends with a play of Joseph's song 'Liberal Backslider'.

As heard by us

A candid, searching conversation about divine quiet, spiritual uncertainty, and the moments that still seem to speak.

Guest Martin Joseph helps turn a familiar question about divine intervention into something more intimate: what it feels like when God seems quiet.

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Why you'd press play

When God feels quiet, you can sit with a guest who says faith and doubt run parallel.

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