Amber Martin is an internationally acclaimed, SE Texas-born and NYC-based vocalist, recording artist, character actor and cabaret star, whose work spans genres, from Country, Americana, and Rock/Pop/Funk. Greatly inspired in the traditions of Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Chaka Khan, Carol Burnett, and Bette Midler, her award-winning shows have been likened to “watching Ruth Draper after she’s come back from an acid trip during which she thought she was Janis Joplin.” Amber was named one of the top performers of the year by The New Yorker, and Limelight Magazine wrote: “The audience knew from the get-go that they had struck gold.”
Onstage, Amber is a remarkably powerful vocalist with a deep love for all genres of classic American pop music & culture, which also inspires her own original songs. Amber brings a combination of uplifting cabaret, dazzling vocals, unfiltered comedy and compelling stories to her live, genre-hopping musical performances, casting light on her uniqueness from her own contemporaries, and bringing a diverse range of inclusive, button-pushing entertainment to her equally diverse audiences.
Amber released her first solo album, A.M. Gold, in 2016, featuring original songs written by herself, Jake Shears, Paul Leschen, and Brett Every. Two songs from the album were featured in John Cameron Mitchell’s 2019 movie, How To Talk To Girls At Parties. Amber’s recent collaborations include belting the backing vocals on The Scissor Sisters single “Inevitable” from their album, Magic Hour (Sony Music), as well as in the hit single “Too Much Music” on Jake Shears’ 2023 album, Last Man Dancing (Mute Records). Amber guest-starred in John Cameron Mitchell’s sold-out Origin of Love Tour, in Australia (including Sydney Opera House), South Korea, Mexico, on Broadway & all over the U.S. She also appeared on Broadway in Tales of the City at the Music Box Theater. Amber and John Cameron Mitchell currently co-star in their co-written live nationally-touring variety show, Cassette Roulette, having opened with hugely successful runs at MASS MoCA, BRIC/Celebrate Brooklyn & Joe’s Pub NYC. On her new album, Unbreakable Heart, Amber returns to her country roots with a collection of new songs written by Jake Shears, Rufus Wainwright, John Cameron Mitchell (each of whom appear as guest vocalists), as well as Brett Every, Amber’s mom Cheryl Kirkland Martin, PJ DeBoy, Ryan Landry and Amber herself. One highlight of the album is a total reworking of the funky disco anthem she co-wrote with Jake Shears for his newest album. The song, “Devil Came Down The Dancefloor,” has been entirely re-worked into a fast-paced, country-and-western polka complete with fiddle, pedal steel guitar, and Amber’s blazing vocals.
The album’s first release is the tender duet with 3× Grammy nominee, Rufus Wainwright, on his newly-penned “I Want You To Be A Real Man.” With John Cameron Mitchell, she conjures magic on her version of “Call Me Joe” from John’s 2020 album, American Dream. And the second song offered by Jake Shears on the album is “Second Heart,” a long-ago Scissor Sisters collaboration with Baby Daddy that was never released until now. Produced by Amber, the album also shines from the mixing/engineering skills of Drama Desk Award-winning and Grammy-nominated Justin Craig (currently working on the Tony-award winning hit Stereophonic). Amber also continues to evolve as writer, curator and star of her own shows, such as her acclaimed international performance series, Bathhouse Bette: A Musical
Celebration of Early Bette Midler (Adelaide Cabaret Fest, Joe’s Pub NYC, Rude Mechs
Austin, Oasis SF & Atlantis Cruises), Amber Alert! (Wild Project NYC, Joe's Pub & Allways Cabaret NOLA), Janis:Undead (Joe’s Pub, Adelaide Cabaret Fest & Southeast Texas Music Hall of Fame). Amber’s shows have included a dizzying line-up of luminary guest stars, Karen Black, Patti Lupone, Rufus Wainwright, Sandra Bernhard, John Cameron Mitchell, Jake Shears, Molly Ringwald, Bernadette Peters, Justin Bond, Cole Escola, Aubrey Plaza, Joyce Dewitt and Bridget Everett.
UPCOMING SHOWS
