Recently, we chatted with Jonny Porter and Martina Lake, the two multi-talented musicians behind Kingston's emerging folk act, Lake Porter.

Q: Did you always want to be a musician?

Jonny: I started my first band when I was 11 years old, so I would say yes, I always knew in my heart this is what I wanted to do, it’s when and where I am most happy and it’s the reason I am still alive.

Martina: Not one bit. I used to sing a lot as a kid. I remember my Dad yelling at me through my bedroom door as I looped Avril Lavigne for the dozenth time. I wrote a lot but mostly short stories and poetry. It wasn’t until I met my partner, Jay, that i turned those into songs.

Q: How long have you been making music together?

Jonny: Martina and I kicked around the idea of writing songs together in August 2023, mainly because our current projects at the time got derailed due to bandmates and friends going on tour. So we thought, “We can either sit on our hands for six months and go stir crazy, or we can write some songs and see where this goes!” Obviously, everyone now knows what we chose to do.

Q: How did your music come together? Did you know this is what you wanted to do beforehand or is it a new project.

Jonny: Martina and I would send parts of songs or full demo’s back and forth on the dropbox and our phones, and then we would write our own parts or totally dissect the demo and send back the new bones. That's the magic sauce.

Martina: Every time Jonny sent me something, whether it was one of his songs or just a guitar riff, I would get so excited. We knew almost instantly this was something we were going to do for a long time.

Q: Do you remember your first gig? What was it like?

Martina: A few weeks ago - opening up for Brother Elsey at the Broom Factory in Kingston! It was life changing. Not to sound dramatic but it kickstarted a part of me I never knew existed.

Q: There's been an occasional trend on social media recently of bands posting their green room riders, the kinds of food and drinks they want in the lounge before a show. What's on yours?

Jonny: Haha Honestly, I am always very grateful to get anything for free in a green room, so I literally could care less what it is. I’ll eat and drink anything, because I am weird like that.

Martina: I am a total foodie so given the chance, I’d rack that rider up with a fine charcuterie board and fresh fruit. Compared to Jonny, my palette is a bit more refined when it comes to my choice of beverage. A nice bottle of red, Mojito bar with fresh mint and a nice bourbon would suffice.

Q: How do you write your songs? What’s your writing process?

Jonny: It literally comes out of nowhere. I can hear a buzz word or a sentence or a concept from a friend, or a stranger, or a movie or the news, and my mind will just obsess over what I heard. It always starts with a hook lyric and/ or a word, and then I work backwards and find a guitar melody or rhythm that accompanies the emotion or vibe of the words.

Martina: Usually, for me, songwriting always starts with a single line. Whether it was something I said out loud or a text conversation from a friend - it rings in my ears until it starts to grow. Usually, if I don’t write it down it’s gone forever.

Q: Who would you like to tour with someday?

Jonny: The Glorious Sons or City and Colour, if either of those became a reality, instant cloud nine for life.

Q: What's the next thing coming up for your musical career that you're most excited about?

Martina: Spring and Summer shows! I’m excited to get on some festival stages and perform in front of larger crowds. Also, we will be recording our EP which will be produced with Steve Kirstein and Jay Emmons of TGS.

Q: What do you think are the best songs to get to know your band for someone who's unfamiliar but curious?

Jonny: Once they are released, I think people will love and vibe “O+,” and “Please Don’t Leave Me,” both songs went over really well live, and people seemed to react instantly to them. Stay tuned.

Martina: I agree with Jonny on those two for sure. We’re also going to record a song called “Body Haunt” which Jonny wrote. It’s a groovy banger.

Learn more about Lake Porter here: web link Posted: Mar 5, 2024