ŌTautahi Soul-Folk Sensation Lee Martin Unveils Raw New Single ‘5 Year Plan’

Renowned singer-songwriter Lee Martin delivers a poignant reflection on life’s unpredictable journey with her latest indie-soul offering, ‘5 Year Plan’. This evocative track captures the friction between our grand designs and the gritty reality of time slipping through our fingers.

‘5 Year Plan’ provides a candid look at the sensation of being suspended in time—navigating the disappointment of faded dreams, lingering habits and mistakes, and the heavy weight of unmet expectations. It is an anthem for the quiet endurance and resilience required to keep moving forward when the path forward looks nothing like the blueprint, and life doesn’t unfold the way you imagined..

The song’s emotional core is anchored in its shifting narrative. Martin highlights the passage of time and the idiom that “time waits for no man” with the lyrics, "…I’m 15 years in on my 5-year plan," which then evolves into, "I’m 18 years in on my 5-year plan..."

“These lines are the heartbeat of the track for me - my favourite parts of the song, indicating the chaos of lost time and the feeling of being stuck in motion. Meanwhile years later, here’s me still working on that 5 year plan”, Martin explains.

The constant shifting of the goalposts, and the deflating realisation that you’re still a work in progress is, in the end, all ok because it’s better to embrace and grow through the chaotic and messy reality of life, rather than being disappointed in an imaginary, less than perfect finish line.

‘5 Year Plan’ follows on from previous single and video, the musically restrained yet emotionally potent ‘Feel’, an ode offering an empathic and judgement free lens through which to view intense vulnerability and self-destructive behaviours.

With her trademark velvet vocals and masterful storytelling, the South-African born, Ōtautahi-based artist explores the vulnerability of "growing through the mess." ‘5 Year Plan’ is a soulful tribute to resilience and the courage it takes to remain in motion when life remains stubbornly off-script.

Lee Martin is an indie-soul musical powerhouse celebrated for her lyrical depth and commanding vocal presence. Her music weaves together soulful grit and folk-style storytelling, making her one of Aotearoa’s most compelling voices.

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