As he gears up for his first-ever national tour this fall, singer/songwriter Francisco Martin has released “If U NEED ME,” a gorgeous pop ballad about being there for the ones you love, written and fully produced by Martin himself. The song was premiered by PopMatters this week, who called it “a feel-good slice of nostalgic pop/R&B where his romantic songwriting meets an emotive delivery.”

“I wrote IF U NEED ME when I was thinking about someone important to me and I realized that no matter what was happening in my life and no matter what our relationship was like at that time, if that person ever called me and said they weren’t doing well, I’d drop anything to be there for them,” Martin told PopMatters. “The song sort of poured out of me. And now, as I listen, it’s become a universal song for anyone I care about.”

An American Idol-alum who finished in the Top 5, Martin places himself among the ranks of pop songwriters like James Bay, John Mayer, Maggie Rogers, and Ed Sheeran – always reaching for sun-lit hooks and sweet melodies. He captured the hearts of millions with his delicate-but-powerful songwriting, and since Idol he’s released several hit singles, including “Swollen,” which garnered over 5 million streams on Spotify. “IF U NEED ME” follows the release of “BITTERSWEET,” about “loving the good parts of a relationship and hating the bad parts,” Francisco explained.

If someone asked you to tell “your story as an artist,” how would you answer?

The short answer would be – I grew up in a family band and, after realizing I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else in my life, I found a way to do music full time. As for the longer answer, I think of myself as an intentional artist. I grew up in a musical family constantly surrounded by sound. My father was a musician himself and created a family band for us to perform in. He was a perfectionist and always wanted everything we were doing in our family band to be as perfect as possible. He definitely imprinted the “perfectionist” mindset in me as a child. He got me my first drumkit when I was 8 and spent hours making me listen to new songs so I could go figure out how to master all of the parts. It made me very judgmental about music and all the things that pertained to music.  It also created this need in me to be the best musician I could be. I spent my childhood and teen years playing in local bands, honing my skills on the drums and eventually branched into singing, playing the guitar and the piano. My dad jokes that he never really had to tell me to practice because I was always messing around on an instrument. That work ethic carried on once I started writing songs and studying the art of songwriting… and now I’m even more hands on with producing my own records. I definitely still am a perfectionist but I try not to let that hold me back. 

Do you have a particular message that you would like your music to communicate? 

I want my music to hit people’s heart strings. I think music should be able to be a universal language. Whether I’m playing to 10 people or 100 people, I want them to leave on an emotional note. 

What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?

My relationships have definitely inspired my storytelling. My relationship with myself has also inspired some of my writing. Love is such a broad idea and I find myself wanting to push the limits of it. 

Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?

John Mayer has been a major influence. His musicality reigns supreme to every artist I indulge in. He’s great.  

What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?

Maggie Rogers’ “Alaska” literally made me pick up the pen and paper and write. Her music was a breath of fresh air that catapulted my need to release my emotions in songs and become openly vulnerable through songwriting. Without her music, I wouldn’t be the artist I am. 

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about

“IF U NEED ME” came out of nowhere. I was sitting in my living room one afternoon in LA and had just come off a bad argument with someone I really cared about. I was pondering on the situation and randomly thought of the phrase “If you need me” and an instant light bulb lit up in my mind. From there on, I had the whole song structure and a couple lyric ideas mapped out. I picked up my guitar and finished the rest of it in spurts during my Nashville writing trips. It was so easy to write because it came from an honest place.  

What is the best takeaway you got from American Idol?

The best takeaway I’ve gotten would probably be my work ethic. I’ve gotten so serious about working hard ever since I left the show.

What’s your favorite song that you wrote?

I have an unreleased song called “Hate if You Missed Him” that I love so dearly. I was having a shitty day the day I wrote it. I didn’t want to write and felt uninspired. I ended up getting encouraged to do the session anyways and met one of my favorite writers, Drew Kennedy, for the first time. The session was with Drew and one of my close collaborators Jon Stark. 10 hours later, the song came out of it, and I haven’t stopped singing it since. It’s my favorite written song so far. 

What is your biggest goal as an artist?

I definitely want to have a substantial career in music and to have a strong fan base that will have my back. That said, a specific goal would be to win a GRAMMY and to sell out the Hollywood Bowl. 

Favorite lyric you ever wrote?

“We’re going through the motions like we’re on stage, memorized the lines for the roles we played.” 

Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?

Yes, many times. I fell into a deep dark depression in early 2021 and felt like giving up every single day. It was like hell. Through the support of my friends, manager, medication, and therapy, I found a way out of it. Now I am back to enjoying making music everyday. And, I’m incredibly grateful for everything I have and have achieved so far. 

Would you ever do anything different in your career?

I wouldn’t trade this career for the world. Enough said.

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

My manager once told me, “if you treat every song like it’s your last, it will be.” 

What do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?

I think having more popular Asian-American singer-songwriters / artists will be the next game changer. It’s bound to happen!!!