Science Report: "Songwriting to engage with societal crises"
Martin had the pleasure of being interviewed by Rasmus Stochflet Berg from Science Report
"In 2018, Cape Town counted down to 'Day Zero'. It was as ominous a day as it sounds. The South African city of millions was in the midst of an extreme drought, and 'Day Zero' was the day when its citizens would run out of water. At first glance, it sounds like a reality that would make few people pack their bags and get on a plane to South Africa. But for Martin Høybye, the crisis rather drew him in.
- I was keen to develop a new ethnographic approach that broke away from more traditional methods. And I new that songwriting had something unique to offer in these circumstances, he says."
Full article (in Danish) here:
https://sciencereport.dk/kultur/musiker-bruger-sangskrivning-til-at-forske-i-samfundskriser/
Danish media report on the "Songs in the Key of Collaboration" album
Danish news outlets "Magasinet Søndag", "Ude og hjemme", "Familiejournal", "Horsens Folkeblad" celebrate the release of "Songs in the Key of Collaboration."
Excerpt from Horsens Folkeblad:
"Scientists travel the world extensively. They learn about other peoples and their problems. They may study social conditions or the consequences of the climate crisis, and when they return home with a lot of data, they write a scientific report. It might be published by a university press.
However, there are also those - or at least one - who, in the service of science, take a completely different path and write songs and release them on a record label.
One such person is Martin Høybye.
The musician and researcher has just released his eighth album. It's called "Songs in the key of collaboration" and is the audible result of a five-year PhD project in which Martin Høybye traveled and wrote music together with ordinary people from different parts of the world, notably also South Africa.
His starting point was some of the major crises that people across the globe are experiencing these years, such as climate change and the corona pandemic, and his research idea has been to investigate and document how to write songs together with people affected by the climate crisis, for example, that tell about their lives and the problems they face."
Full article:
https://hsfo.dk/kultur/melodisk-videnskab-martin-fra-horsens-har-skrevet-baade-sange-og-en-ph-d-efter-besoeg-i-cape-towns-raa-kvarterer
Daily Voice: Danish artist teams up with SA student
Danish artist teams up with SA student
DANISH singer and songwriter Martin Hoybye has dropped his newest album titled “Songs in the Key of Collaboration.” One of the tracks is called Crossfire which he did with a talented student from Stellenbosch University.
Marsha Dean/Daily Voice/May 6 2024
The track is a testament to the resilience and hope amid adversity, and captures the emotions of mense navigating the complexities of life in Vrygrond, gripped by poverty, crime and violence.
Hoybye met Avela Booi, 10, in 2019. The Bachelor of Education student says:
“I met Martin ad Sozo Educentre, an after-school programme for high-school students in the Vrygrond community, where he shared his experiences as a musician and performed some of his songs. He then invited anyone interested in collaborating on a new song to join him. I eagerly volunteered and we collaborated to create the song.”
“The song Crossfire is a heartfelt narrative of my experiences of growing up in a tough neighbourhood. I delve into memories of childhood, the facade of toughness among local kids, and the underlying fear for the future, particularly for my brother.
Resilience
Despite the harsh realities portrayed there’s a glimmer of hope symbolised by a bright future.
“I emphasise resilience and the importance of finding optimism amid adversity. I basically share my innermost thoughts and fears, but I also cling to hope, urging others to do the same. It’s a song of resilience, reminding us all to keep pushing forward, even when the odds seem sracked against us.”
Songs in the Key of Collaboration is available on all major online platforms. Avela Booi’s “Crossfire” about growing up in Vrygrond is track number 4 on the album: https://hoybye.lnk.to/songs
Radio 4 interview: "A Song Says More Than Numbers"
Martin was recently interviewed by radio host Maja Hald at Radio 4 on collaborative songwriting as ethnographic research into lived experience (in Danish).
From the radio's pitch: "A song hits us in a different and more direct way than, for example, numbers in an article. That's why a new album, the product of a PhD project, can provide a better understanding of what it means to live with the effects of climate change and crises. Guest: Martin Høybye, researcher and musician."
Check out the interview, in which Martin gives a quick introduction to the collaborative writing of lyrics and melody in the project:
https://radio4.dk/podcasts/morgenrutinen/en-sang-siger-mere-end-100-tal
"Songs in the Key of Collaboration" is out
In Martin’s words:
Prompted by a serious water crisis in Cape Town, I set out to explore songwriting as a response to anthropogenic environmental impact, broadly speaking.
Environmental crises will continue to impact the planet for generations to come. Droughts, floods, sea level rise, wild weather events, and resulting changes to sense of place and identity will follow.
10 of 35 songs written in the project are presented on this album. They comprise a meeting of sentiments and ideas from different people, different countries, and very different living situations.
A song is a drop in a very big pond, but I believe in ripple effects and taking action by sharing ourselves, our experience, and knowledge. That may sound radical, but I believe inaction and non-sharing is actually more radical 
DO add this album via your streaming service , and let’s show the algorithms that actual humans make art with and for other humans in this world still 
We're delighted to share that “Freedom Is a State of Mind” – a co-write between Justine Hansen (Cape Town), and Martin Høybye – is now playing in 670 retail outlets in Southern Africa.
“Freedom Is a State of Mind" is being played in stores because Clicks felt the song has an important message and creates awareness around mental health.
Clicks Retail Group is a group of healthcare, music and lifestyle retail chains and brands based in South Africa, including Clicks pharmacies.
Bands of Tomorrow write about "We Can Change"
Martin Høybye (The New Songrise) has once again chosen to listen. Listening to another person's story, and in doing so, create a song that spreads understanding and meaning for many
By Sarah Holmbo
Despite hard knocks in life, we can rise again. We can change, and we can learn to help others move forward in life, despite our differences, if we look past appearances, and especially our own prejudices. All of this is what Martin Høybye, in collaboration with Lul Omar, captures in the single "We Can Change".
"We Can Change" was written by Høybye in collaboration with Lul Omar, a second-generation Somali immigrant. Lul Omar was the founder of the Najima Association, which worked to support children and young people with dual cultural backgrounds in Denmark.
Her belief that people can change for the better is the basis for the lyrics and hence the title of the single - "We Can Change". With a childhood characterized by neglect and abuse, and later a journey to a Somali to be 're-educated', Omar has since struggled to struggling to make it through everyday life.
Together, the two have now created this calm and beautiful single, with the chorus:
Can we not respect each other / I don’t like the acting game / Let’s not hide, let’s uplift each other / I still believe that we can change
Full article:
The Daily Voice writes about “Freedom Is a State of Mind”
“How can we create more safe spaces for dialogue? A state of mind that embraces the freedom of others, perhaps liberates us too. When we make space for a balancing of different voices and ideas, we are able to broaden our choices.
Those were among the perspectives shared in an international songwriting collaboration between Justine Hansen (Cape Town) and Martin Høybye (Denmark).”
The single is out as a music video: https://youtu.be/OyoD0JzkQ-g?feature=shared
The Daily Voice article: https://www.dailyvoice.co.za/.../danish-and-local-artist...
The Tatler: "Song Explores Impact of Colonialism
Martin was interviewed along with co-writer Casper Ace for The Southern Suburbs Tatler about their song: "Where the Water Was."
“Telling someone else’s story is a huge responsibility. We had to be careful to ensure we could stand behind every line of the song, since some people may find it to be controversial.”
Høybye says the resilience and resourcefulness inherent in indigenous knowledge are highlighted in the song.
“We as songwriters feel that if we can retrain ourselves to take care of water, in all its forms, we may simultaneously learn to address the challenges of environmental crises in constructive ways.”
Where the Water Was music video from Cape Town: https://youtu.be/GhYMsr_Amx4?feature=shared
Full article: https://www.southernsuburbstatler.co.za/news/song-explores-impact-of-colonialism-827b6297-e9cf-451a-8398-4538bea42c67