ArtistInfo

Nudge Squidfish

b, key, *1952
Rock and Alternative
A.k.a. Al Martin

Nudge Squidfish Born Alfred John Martin on July 25th 1952 in Bethlehem Penn. Nudge Squidfish began his musical career at age 15. After meeting Jimi Hendrix back stage on March 3rd 1968 at veteran’s auditorium in Columbus Ohio he decided that song writing was what he want to do early in life. Eventually this led to a 6-year period of “paying your dues” with local cover bands at clubs. In 1974 after countless gigs that did little address this passion he purchased a 4 track Teac 3340s ¼ tape and began producing his own do-it-yourself demos on cassette. By 1978 his songs were unfocused and amateurish. Early Years. In 1978 He developed his theory of object music which held that there is no difference between a note of music and a sound in reality. Shortly thereafter he joined “The True Believers” punk band in Columbus, Ohio. This lineup included Mike Rep (vocals/guitar), General Robert E. Lee (bass/vocals), Carla Lust (vocal/keys) and Tommy Jay (drums). Rehearsals were held in the basement of Magnolia Thunder Pussy Record store where Mike Rep and Ron House (Moses Carry Out, Great Plains, and Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartment) where sales reps. On Friday nights after the store would close and the True Believers and other Columbus punk bands would perform their originals. Eventually this led Mike Rep, Tommy Jay, Nudge Squidfish and the record store owner Chuck Kubat to create the D.I.Y. record label New Age Records. At the time the majors labels were lobbing congress for a ban on cassettes home taping while at the same time ripping their acts off financially. When Tim Ansett who was the editor of the monthly Tet Offense fanzine began promoting D.I.Y. shows; what had been only few followers gave way to packed venues. Against this backdrop Nudge Squidfish released his first pop sounding 45’ record entitled “Marriage Vows” backed with “Dorothy 1. 2. 3.” on New Age Records in 1982. It was a product of the do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) punk aesthetic in Columbus, Ohio. Nashville. By 1983 nudge Squidfish had relocated to Nashville Tenn. in hopes of a major record contract. In 1984 after being rejected by the industry he release his first LP entitled “Squid Songs” on his D.I.Y. record label NS Records. This LP was a mixture of musical interments and objects but gain little support from the Nashville establishment. After joining the Nashville Songwriters Association and attending Belmont College for songwriting classes it became apparent the country music industry was only interested in a strict and ridged formula approach. In July of 1985 he made a second attempt to demonstrate the commercial value of object music. With the release of the “Nashville, in Nashville” LP on his D.I.Y. record label he soon became discouraged return to Columbus. H. P. Blavatsky In September of 1985 he began his life long occult studies of the works of H.P. Blavatsky and other great philosophers. Under the tutelage of local psychics Betty Rider and Leona Johnson he honed his spiritual and musical craft. Soon he had purchased a 144 Teac 4 track cassette deck and set up another home recording studio. Even though his theory was a commercial failure; like Spike Jones and Edgard Varèse, Squid’s notion of avant-garde music lay in artistic achievement. It was during this time the he began to question capitalism and decided that the non-profit approach to music was the direction he wanted to go. In December of 1985 he became the bass player for Rudy Smith and Kevin Cart in punk band “Kevyn And The Kasualties” and released another D.I.Y. LP called “Punk or Pop?” in July of 1986. V-3 (the band not the missile.) In September of 1986 Nudge Squidfish and Rudy Smith join Roxanne Newman (Phantom Limb, Skull Bank) and Jim Shepard (Vertical Slit, Phantom Limb, Skull Bank) and formed the experimental sonic band V-3. Along with Don Howland (The Gibson Brothers and Bassholes), Ron House (Moses Carry Out, Great Plains, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartment), Jim Shepard (Phantom Limb, Vertical Slit, V-3) Mike Rock and Mike Ravage (The Screaming Urge) they rebelled against the R.I.A.A. and the corporate music structure. Squid’s first record was a product of the do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) Punk movement in Columbus, Ohio in 1983. Out of this culture the owner of Magnolia’s records Chuck Kubat started putting on shows in the record store with bands like the Screaming Urge, The Worst, Highly Evolved Cosmic Beings, & Vertical Slit. A growing cast of local artists Nudge Squidfish is a native Ohio songwriter and former March of Dimes poster child. He began his musical career at age 15 after meeting Jimi Hendrix back stage. Over the years he has worked with; or been involved with many others in the music business. While living in Nashville Tennessee, he released two LPs. As a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association and ASCAP he attend songwriting classes at Belmont College. He also attended Columbus State Community College and later majored in philosophy at OSU. While still being active in live stage work he currently manages a non-profit film and record label; which promotes local non-profit talent via the Internet. He has toured the US and Canada. In 2008 he joined in a ET breeding program with 8 Female ETs. Videos are Posted on Youtube.com

Instruments

• Bass
• Keyboards
• Drums
• Bass guitar
• Vocals

Genres

• Rock
• Alternative
• Electronic
• Pop
• Spoken Word

Plays With

ArtistInfo App

Acknowledgements

ArtistInfo for Mac, iPad, and iPhone