I'm A TV

Although first known as a candid, self-depreciating standup comedian and actor, Mae Martin has added alternative singer/songwriter to their main credits. Their debut album, 2025's I'm a TV, was a vulnerable set of reflective indie rock.

Born in Toronto to Canadian writer/teacher Wendy Martin and English writer/actor/musician James Chatto, Mae Pearl Martin grew up with their parents' collection of comedy albums. In additional to time in Toronto, the family spent several years of Mae's childhood on the Greek island of Corfu. Martin cites the Kids in Hall, Pee-Wee Herman, and Bette Midler as some of their early influences and went to a comedy club for the first time at age 11. They joined their first comedy troupe in their early teens, dropped out of school at 15, and became a staff member at The Second City club. In the meantime, Martin developed a self-depreciating, earnest standup style and was known to address struggles with identity and sexuality. They were 26 years old when they debuted their show Slumber Party at Edinburgh's 2013 Fringe Festival and were already writing for television by the time they did an episode of Soho Theatre Live in 2017. Martin went on to write for Baroness Von Sketch Show and starred in the addiction- and recovery-themed series Feels Good in 2020 and 2021, around the time they came out as non-binary. Their first comedy special, Mae Martin: SAP, aired on Netflix in 2023. They appeared on an episode of the Netflix series John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA the following year.

Martin's first music recording was a guest spot as vocalist on an alternate version of the Charles Watson single "Going Places" in 2022. That was followed in 2023 by "Love Is Pain," an acoustic duet with fellow Canadian comedian Carolyn Taylor. Martin signed with Republic for the release of their indie rock-oriented solo debut album, the earnest and personal I'm a TV, which saw release in February 2025. ~ Marcy Donelson