Italian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist Joseph Martone – formerly of Joseph Martone & The Traveling Soulds – returned with his second solo album entitled Endeavours, released on vinyl, CD and digital formats in February 2026 via Italian independent label Rivertale Productions. “I was born in the state of New York (USA),” Martone wrote by email, “but my parents are from Vitulazio (south of Italy, near Naples) where I live now.”
His album is a multi-cultural effort, recorded partly in two Italian studios with the collaborations of Fabio Rondanini of Calibro 35 on drums and bassist Francesco Giampaoli, who is active with Hugo Race Fatalists and Sacri Cuori. At Studio Cimetière in Québec, Martone did some co-writing with a long-time collaborator, Ned Crowther with production by Mike Dubue and Taylor Kirk of the Canadian folk-blues band Timber Timbre. Kirk also produced Martone’s first album in 2020 (Honeybirds), described as having a rich sound reminiscent of Nick Cave and Calexico under the cinematic influence of Sergio Leone. Rolling Stone Fr called it “An album of rare richness in terms of harmonies and production, but also for its evocative power.”
A professional musician since 2007, Martone draws from both his birth and familial backgrounds to create honest, often painful explorations of his childhood and adolescence, and the songs feature a colourful cast of characters that have contributed to his story. Torn relationships and lifelines, such as the imaginative family vineyard where everything begins and everything returns, where even in dark times life demands that a harvest be completed, tell a story of intertwined existences that cyclically resurfaces. You can feel the sentiments in the song “Bright Morning Doubt,” which he plays in the video. All the memories turn warm/But in my mind’s eye/The cloth was already torn.
For Martone’s exclusive AUK mini-gig, he is playing a 1967 Gibson 001. “It’s a parlour guitar made for women,” he explains. “The piano is an old out-of-tune family one that we tuned up.” Good choice. The video was shot by Domenico De Lillo, and audio by Pasquale Formicola at Mr. Rolly’s, a wonderful venue in his hometown of Vitulazio.
You won’t have to look deeply to find Martone’s Internet footprint on Bandcamp, YouTube, Spotify, Instagram and Facebook. The three songs in the video are all co-writes with Crowther with a brief description of each by Martone.
- Time Is a Healer –In life, there’s always going to be a tab to pick up at some point.
- Wounded Love – Good love gone bad.
- Bright Morning Doubt – The break-up of a long relationship.
