Rising music star Ren Martinez opens up about her career so far and what to expect from upcoming projects. (Exclusive)

Photo credit to Maddie Ross

Written by: Gracie Lowes

Rising star Ren Martinez is quickly making a name for herself in the entertainment industry.

From being a singer, songwriter and actress, this triple threat is using her venerability in her lyrics and positive energy to build a strong fan base.

Just having finished recording her debut full-length album, I had the chance to sit down (virtually) with Ren Martinez and talk to her about what fans can expect from her music, future projects and more.

You can read the full interview below.

Photo credit to Maddie Ross

Gracie Lowes: Congratulations on all the success you’ve had so far in your career. From acting to music, how/when did you know you wanted to get into the entertainment industry?

Ren Martinez: I grew up singing and acting onstage. Some of my very earliest memories are of performing, and it’s always been my absolute favorite thing to do, a space where I feel so at home. I was lucky enough to grow up in a very creative community, right on the edge of Los Angeles, and I think it’s a really special thing to grow up believing that your dreams are possible. I’ve always known this is my path in life.

Gracie: Do you have a favorite moment or memory from your career so far?

Ren: I’ve gotten to do so many wonderful things, and a couple of big moments come to mind—my first ever song placement on the TV show New Girl, that was one of the most exciting nights of my entire life when I got that news. My college boyfriend bought me ice cream to celebrate. I remember the morning my song Good Girl made Billboard’s Top 25 Best Rock Songs of the year, I was a barista at the time and I remember going into the back room of the coffee shop to collect myself before I could finish my shift! But my absolute favorite moments have all happened at my shows, singing my songs on stage, connecting with a crowd. Those are the highest highs.

Gracie: What is your creative process like when creating new music? Do you have a certain place you like to start when in the studio?

Ren: There are so many different places you can start from as a songwriter, but most of the time, for me, a lyric and melody will sort of fall into my head, as if it’s been drifting on the breeze and decided to land on me. Usually it’s just a line or two, and I’ll give it all the attention I can and try to nurture it into a chorus, a verse, or a whole song. I’ve written entire toplines (that’s the term for a lyric and melody) while driving, making erratic voice memos on my iPhone! I’ve written songs while falling asleep. Sometimes I have to run out of a bar to go make a voice memo on the sidewalk. That truly is often how it happens for me, and then I’ll go back after and figure out the chords, and make a demo that then gets brought to life by a producer. I try now to make time to sit down with an instrument and see what I can write, and that often works well for me too—and is less chaotic!!

Gracie: What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten that you would give to new artists or even your younger self?

Ren: Trust yourself, and make what you want to make, and make it with your friends. That’s what the best music always is. That’s how to actually be happy when you succeed, and when you don’t. That’s the way it’s all worth it.

Photo credit to Emma Jenkinson

Gracie: I know you’ve collaborated with your friend Madison Scheckel (Wolfy), do you have any dream collaborations for your future?

Ren: It would be a dream to collaborate with Blake Mills—we grew up in the same town some years apart, and I’ve admired him since I was a little kid, and now he’s made several of my all-time favorite records. He is brilliant on so many levels--as a songwriter, guitar player, and producer. That’s a career I’ve been following for over half my life! Since I was like, 10. Wild.

Gracie: If you could describe your music in 3 words what would they be and why?

Ren: Hooky, honest, cathartic. I love pop music, and I think there’s a pop sensibility even in my more low key, rock-y, folk-y stuff. To me, catchy music is infused with real feeling, ear worm tracks with difficult truths running underneath, that’s my favorite thing, that’s something I strive for as a writer. I have so much emotion, so close to the surface, all the time. I’m one of those people who’s walking around heart-first. Sometimes it all needs to come out, and that feeling of catharsis is so vital for me, and something I channel into my songwriting.

Gracie: Do you have any future projects that you could tell us about or hint at?

Ren: I’ve just finished recording my debut full-length album, Fingers Crossed, it’s being mastered as I write this. I’m so proud of it, and can’t wait to share it.