BONE

MAY, 1996

Idaho

Four-String State of Mind

Idaho’s Jeff Martin is struggling with his demons; the ones that spur him to write his four-string melancholic masterpieces, the ones that force him to go on tour and ones that tell him it’s only a matter of time before his band has a hit song so big it’ll surprise everyone, especially Martin.

Most of those demos probably work at Martin’s record company, but that last demon really scares him. There’s a hoary host of critics proclaiming Idaho godhead right now, and it won’t be long until the kids are lining up at the record stores. Martin isn’t naïve about Idaho’s future, but he isn’t jaded either. He honestly believes he can keep making beautiful, catchy, tormented songs that stick in your brain like gumbo sticks to your ribs and that people are just going to leave him alone. Well, prepare yourself, Mr. Martin: Company’s comin’.

For a band on the edge Idaho has been around a while, but never in this form. Before their new album Three Sheets to the Wind (Caroline), Idaho was essentially Jeff Martin with some help from his friends. It was also basically a studio project that rarely left the nest. This time around, it’s different. Think of it as Idaho Mach 2. There’s actually a full-fledged band supporting Martin on this record, and many of the songs were written as collaborations. There’s even a summer tour. But Martin is less that excited about that. “I’m very – I’m almost a little bit too insecure about how other people perceive Idaho. I mean, I know I love what I do and I think it’s very great, but I don’t really confident about it getting across. I always think ‘ Ahh, people just aren’t gonna hear it right.” Martin also believes that most people probably won’t “hear it” at all.

“I still don’t think we’ve made a record which has crossover potential…. I think that more people would like it if they were exposed to it. I don’t want to sell out. I mean, I’d be terrified now to be on a tour bus and really doing it, working for some big label. That sounds a little frightening to me. I like the pace things are going.”

Well, get ready, Mr. Martin: The pace is about to pick up.

- J. Moon Wilkins