Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Tom Martin came of age at a time of strife and violence, when "The Troubles" were raging.   He plied his trade as a boxer, but found he was more a poet than a warrior.  As a young man he set out, armed with a guitar and a handful of songs, to explore the world and make his mark as a musician and lyricist.

Working at a variety of jobs - busking, construction, truck driving and even grave digging in the Midlands of England, Tom crafted his songs and honed his musical skills, weaving the people, places and life situations he experienced into musical poetry - essentially and perhaps instinctively following in the ancient tradition of the seanchaithe - itinerant bards of Ireland whose stock in trade was verse, song and musicianship.  

His travels have taken him far afield, from the wilds of Kenya to the streets of London, throughout Europe and the British Isles, to the Mississippi Delta and the bayous of Louisiana, through the mountains of Virginia and into the heart of New York City. 

His motto: "Keep on keeping on."