Exclusive Interview with Martin Packwood

Martin Packwood is an instrumental music composer and rock guitarist. He is from Birmingham, UK and currently lives in Felixstowe, UK. Influences include Santana, Steely Dan, Eric Johnson, Jimmy Page. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?

Martin Packwood: My dad taught me basic piano when I was tiny, and a few years after that I got my first guitar. It was a cheap acoustic, finger‑shredding thing that nearly put me off. One rainy lunchtime at school I ducked into the music room and heard another student blasting unbelievable sounds from an electric guitar. I was spellbound. From that moment I knew I had to play like that.

2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?

Martin Packwood:No formal training, Just countless hours playing around Birmingham, UK. I gigged everything. Rock, funk, jazz, covers, originals. Jamming with phenomenal jazz musicians early on gave me a solid foundation.

After years away from music, returning has felt like starting fresh with 15 years of experience already in the bank.

3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound? Also, what’s the story behind choosing the name ‘Martin Packwood’?

Martin Packwood: Back in school I lived on a diet of prog‑rock. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple et al. And I idolised guitar giants like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Ritchie Blackmore. Steely Dan’s sophisticated jazz harmony and Carlos Santana’s Latin grooves and melodic lyrical phrasing also found their way into my playing. Those influences still colour everything I write.

As for the name, it’s just the one on my birth certificate. I want the music to be authentic, so no stage persona, just me.

4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?

Martin Packwood: I’m a composer who happens to play guitar, rather than a guitarist who writes music. Melody over rich harmony is everything. I try to avoid cliché and shredding so the music can resonate beyond the guitar crowd. People have labeled it jazz‑rock fusion. I think “instrumental rock with jazz DNA” is more accurate. Each piece aims for a mood. Late‑night chill, foot‑tapper, or, with this new single, pure summer fun that makes you want to dance on the beach.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as ROCK?

Martin Packwood: I started by copying the guitar heroes of the day. Dad’s piano lessons helped me to understand music better. Then I taught myself to improvise. By 18 I was gigging regularly, sometimes cover bands, sometimes original music. I still vividly remember once playing a fully‑improvised jazz‑blues‑funk set in Birmingham’s Cellar Bar!

Writing in various original bands honed my compositional skills. I love many genres, but at heart I’m a rocker.

6. Music often transcends entertainment. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

Martin Packwood: Music can carry social and political messages, but they are usually negative, and I prefer to focus on positivity. Of course, I have opinions, but I’d rather lift listeners up than weigh them down. I prefer my music to leave people feeling better.

7. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment you’re still seeking?

Martin Packwood:

Most musicians aren’t paid what they’re worth, and I’m realistic about that. When my debut single hit 5k streams with zero promotion, I was over the moon. I had no expectation. Ten releases in, streams keep rising. Knowing people come back to my music is more than enough reward for me.

8. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, what’s the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?

Martin Packwood: Usually I map the mood, lay a simple beat, craft chords, then hunt for the perfect melody. After that I record and mix, refining daily until I can’t find anywhere else to improve.

However, this single was different. I sketched the intro and verse two years ago, but couldn’t find a chorus. Then one day the chorus hook arrived on a morning run. I sprinted home, grabbed a guitar, and captured it before it vanished. Half‑planned, half‑serendipity.

For me there is no single essential part, although getting a good melody is key. There is a lot of detail, and it all has to be right, from the initial idea through to mix and mastering.

To date I have not collaborated, and I am trying not to be influenced too much either. It is a very crowded market and I want to stay different.

9. What’s been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?

Martin Packwood: I can’t sing. I literally can’t hold a note. So I’m confined to instrumentals. It limits exposure but focuses me on the music itself, which suits me.

10. On the flip side, what moment or achievement in your career so far has made you feel the proudest, and why? And let’s talk about your latest release and future plans.

Martin Packwood: Big gigs are always a thrill, of course, but one recent, tiny thing sticks out. Someone in Miami Shazamed my track “Suburban Story.” It doesn’t sound much, but it meant that the track was playing in public and caught a stranger’s ear enough for them to want to find me!

My latest release is a sun‑soaked instrumental built for dancing on the beach. I am currently debating whether or not to release the back-catalogue as an album, and maybe to add one or two videos. Whatever happens there will be more singles on the way.

11. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

Martin Packwood: I welcome constructive criticism. It helps me grow. But if someone’s just attacking, I’ll engage only briefly to make my defence. If it’s clear there’s no value, I walk away.

12. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

Martin Packwood: I love both. But in my youth gigs were plentiful and studio time was gold-dust. Now I have my own modest studio, and I’m absolutely loving the freedom to sculpt every detail.

13. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

Martin Packwood: I always have a story in mind, but listeners are free to make their own. I just want them to enjoy my music, however they interpret it.