“I remember when I was five my dad got one of those five disc CD changers with Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable With Love album for free,” Martinez said from her home in the Sydney suburb of Oatlands ahead of her epic two hour Back To Bacharach show with fellow former reality TV star and R&B singer Paulini and The Kings Cross Allstar Band at Merimbula’s Club Sapphire on Friday night.

“Her CD was the only one we had at home, and it ended up being the reason I relate to Jazz music.”

Martinez describes herself as “raised by radio” before moving to Sydney after school, picking up her first paid gig just two weeks later.

“I went to a few jam nights, got my first gig and I’ve been a full-time musician ever since,” Martinez said.

Since then Martinez has immersed herself in the world of jazz and soul, impressing “slightly off the wall” English singer and songwriter Seal on The Voice 2013, who would became her mentor on the show.

“Seal really gave me excellent advice, and because he’s been performing for so long he told me to reframe each song so you are in the moment every time you perform it,” she said.

She describes herself as “a bit smart arsed”, a quality that draws people to her whether on or off the stage.

“I find the best way to get audiences on side is to not take yourself too seriously, then you can connect with the crowd,” she said.

“When I write songs I try to express something a lot of people have felt before.

“You only have a few lines to express it in a way it’s never been done before.”

Martinez is also used to flipping songs on their head, once reinterpreting AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap with a big band edge, and enjoys diving into the world of the six-time Grammy Award winner. 

“One incredible thing about Burt Bacharach is his stuff is very complicated, he obviously went through the trouble of making his songs complicated but simple,” Martinez said.