Singer-songwriter and AUK Twang Factor alumnus Joe Martin has announced the release of his second studio album, Alone in Valentine, via North Star Records on 17th April 2026, along with dates for UK tours in April and September 2026.
Martin not only drew inspiration from 70’s American country/folk, but the album was also recorded with Cal Campbell and Cornelius Webb, sons of the legendary Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb, at the Campbell residence in Nashville. Campbell assembled some of Music City’s finest players to guest on the record, which was mostly cut live over seven days.
Joe was introduced through a mutual friend to Webb during his visit to Nashville in 2024. After winning a beer-powered push-up competition against Webb outside the bar, he was invited along with the gang for the rest of the evening and picked up an acoustic guitar somewhere along the way. He performed his original song Man You Need and impressed Webb enough to be introduced to Campbell. The group hit it off, and they agreed to produce the record.
The wistful title of the album was born during a co-write with filmmaker and songwriter Steve Anderson. “I took an idea to Steve, telling a story of a lonely woman travelling in a Silverado through Southern Colorado down to Texas. Maybe she was running away from a bad relationship, a heartbreak of some kind. In the end, the story took a twist, and it is revealed that she is widowed, visiting all the places they said they would visit together, but she is visiting them alone. The final verse reveals the reason, scattering his ashes on the Rio Grande River… It was heavy, but a line that Steve threw out hit me like a train!”
“When I asked what Valentine was, Steve explained it was a place in West Texas (though there are a few Valentines around the States), but this one fitted the story geographically. I loved the line. I remember that I kept pacing around the room, saying, ‘Alone in Valentine… what a great line!’ I knew then it had to be the album title. When I found out Cal and Cornelius wanted to work on the record with me, I told Steve. Half-joking, he floated the idea that we should travel to Valentine to get the artwork and videos. I thought, ‘let’s go big or go home’, and so, Valentine it was!”
The video for third single, Hand Me Down Heart, is now available, and you can see it below. You can pre-save / pre-order the album here.
Martin has announced spring and autumn tours of the UK. Dates are listed below, and you can find tickets here.
Joe Martin April 2026 UK Tour dates:
Sat 4 – Peel, Isle of Man, Peel Centenary Centre
Fri 17 – Bowness-on-Windermere, Royalty Cinema
Sat 18 – Kinross, The Green Hotel
Wed 22 – Barnoldswick, Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre
Thu 23 – Liverpool, British Music Experience
Fri 24 – Sheffield, Cafe #9
Sat 25 – Manchester, Gullivers
Sun 26 – Saltaire, The Live Room
Joe Martin September 2026 UK Tour dates:
Wed 9 – Henley-on-Thames, The Crooked Billet
Thu 10 – Totton, nr. Southampton, Hanger Farm
Fri 11 – Ramsgate, Ramsgate Music Hall
Mon 14 – Stroud, The Prince Albert
Fri 18 – Bristol, Hen and Chicken
Sat 26 – Kirton in Lindsey, Town Hall
