Dorothy frontwoman Dorothy Martin is fresh off of writing her “heaviest” album yet, and she hopes the meaning behind the music resonates with fans, she revealed in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly.
“I think there’s just really positive messages about faith and overcoming brokenness and challenges,” the rock singer, 38, told Us, referring to the title track “The Way.”
The new album, out Friday, March 14, is “like a love letter to our fans, just reminding them to hold onto hope,” Martin explained. “It’s also the heaviest album I’ve made, but there’s a little bit of outlaw country vibes on some of the songs. So it’s pretty eclectic.”
Martin’s band Dorothy has been a part of the rock scene since 2014. Their latest single “Tombstone Town,” which dropped in February, boasts a collaboration with guitar legend Slash. And the singer was excited for fans to see her other creative side by showing off her acting skills.
“It was one of the most fun videos I’ve gotten to make. I’ve always wanted to somewhat act a little bit. So we went for that Quentin Tarantino Grindhouse vibe on the video, with actors and some narrative storytelling.”
Below, the rock goddess gives Us the inside scoop on her band’s new album, wild tour stories and more:
Dorothy Martin Miikka Skaffari/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Us Weekly: You describe The Way as your heaviest album. How so?
Dorothy Martin: It’s heavy, but there’s also some songs I think that could really cross over maybe the Top 40 or Christian radio — even country. But we can’t just abandon our fan base, so there’s some really heavy guitars and there’s two songs “I Come Alive” and “The Devil” — those are the heaviest songs on the album. So we had to throw a little bit of that in there, and that’s true to my roots.
Us: Tell Us about working with rock icon Slash.
DM: When you meet people that you look up to and they happen to be down to earth and humble and kind, and all those wonderful things despite the legendary status that they’ve achieved — he’s one of those people. He just puts you at ease and makes you feel comfortable.
Us: What’s the best advice Slash gave you?
DM: Something that we both relate to and have in common is being in recovery. Because in rock and roll, it’s just been so glamorized, and addiction and alcoholism runs in my family. He looked at me and he was like, ‘This is your year. This is your time, and all you gotta do is stay sober, don’t self-sabotage, don’t get in your head and keep doing what you’re doing’. So it’s so nice to have mentors and friends that have been through it — that have been in the industry, that are veterans, that are also sober. Because it can be very scary to be sober, and you don’t have to do it alone. It’s just a better way to live, and it’s a message I want to share with anyone who’s reading this.
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Us: Making music seems very healing for you.
DM: It’s healing for me, but it’s not about me — it’s a much bigger picture than that. I hope it’s healing for millions and millions of people. If one lyric, if one song can plant the seed and save someone’s life, that’s what it’s all about. We’re in this together, you don’t have to do this alone. So I have to remember, it’s bigger than me.
Music, for me, used to be so one dimensional, and now it’s a broader thing of this is a vehicle for a message. So I have to be responsible with it.
Us: Do you have a dream collaboration you’d love to become a reality?
DM: There’s been many. [laughs] Macy Gray and I got to do a remake of [a] Dolly Parton song with Dolly Parton. I love Dolly Parton. Country music is the reason I sing, because when I started teaching myself to sing, it was country songs for some reason. And then I branched out into rock and all this other stuff.
But, collaboration-wise, that’s such a good question. Hardy would be really cool. Lainey Wilson would be freaking awesome. And if I could go back and do something like a duet with Johnny Cash, I would in a heartbeat.
Dorothy Martin Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Us: When you prep for a show is there something you always have to do before you get on stage?
DM: I gotta pray. Stay hydrated. Try to stay calm. I always make sure I’m in my stage outfit [and] my makeup, well in advance, ’cause that’s the last thing that I wanna worry about and get my voice warmed up and feeling good. And then it’s like that Carrie Underwood song, “Jesus Take the Wheel.” Whatever happens on that stage happens.
Us: Do you ever get nervous before you hit the stage?
DM: It’s more fun now. I used to get very, very nervous, but after doing it for a while, it’s more fun and exciting, you know? Of course, we have good shows and bad shows, and I just try to live in the moment. And if we have a bad show, for example, it’s like, ‘Eh, it’s over with now.’ It’s in the past. I’m looking forward to the next one, but I wouldn’t say I get scared. It’s exciting. You get very excited, you get jacked up and it’s fun.
Us: Is there anything you do to calm yourself down a little bit before you take the mic?
DM: Yeah, like kickboxing or something, or I’ll just try to shake the nervous energy out of my body. Or I sometimes just crack jokes. Or make really strange noises, deep breathing. Sometimes [that] helps.
Us: Obviously, tons of fans are in the audience, and you never know what kinds of things they’ll want — an autograph or a request. Have there been any that made you laugh or even raised an eyebrow?
DM: It’s always weird when someone says, ‘Sign my sweaty boob’ because it ruins our Sharpies, and then our Sharpies don’t work anymore. [laughs] So they like guitar picks, they want memorabilia. They want selfies. They wanna just high five or a hug. We give them whatever we have on hand. Sam Colton, my guitar player, he throws guitar picks out in the crowd all the time, and they love that.
Us: It can be kind of unpredictable when it comes to audience interaction — from singing off-key to holding up their phones to record. How do you keep your focus when you’re on stage? Or do you just play along with the audience?
DM: There are things that can be distracting. I’ve had people up in my face with a camera [throughout] a whole show and it can kill the vibe, but that only really happens in a super intimate setting — a small club where someone’s a little too close for comfort. You just go into a mindset. I just go into performance mode. I don’t know what happens, I just let the spirit take over and go for it.
If it’s close contact and they’re singing off-key [laughs], that’s why we have in-ear monitors. I don’t wanna hear them, but sometimes I’ve pulled my in-ears out and they’ll be singing off-key, and usually I’ll just crack a joke.
Us: What’s your craziest concert or tour experience?
DM: The best show — the biggest, most-awesome moment — was when we played Welcome to Rockville [music festival], a couple years back. I think Metallica was headlining. It was 30 or 40,000 people. One of the bands left because someone thought that they had Covid, and they bumped us to a later slot. And so with the changeover, they made the crowd wait a little bit, and the sun was going down and they started chanting my name, which has never happened.
It was just a huge sea of people that were excited to be at a concert. They were probably very excited that Metallica was coming soon thereafter. But it was an awesome show. I have a picture that my tour manager took [that was] blown up in my office, and that’s just a moment I’ll never forget.
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Us: What did that feel like?
DM: I was touched and shocked. The audience really affects the show. Their energy really affects us. Artists, we’re very empathetic and intuitive, and we can feel all their energy. Sometimes you get a bad crowd, and that’s tough. You have to kind of fake it and be a professional, and do your job and sing through the set. But when you have a rowdy, fun electric crowd, there’s nothing like it.
Us: What song is the most challenging to perform live?
DM: “Gifts From The Holy Ghost” can be really hard because the verses start out actually in my higher end of my range. So we put that later in the set, so that everyone’s a little warmed up. It’s a high energy song, but it’s also a really rewarding song. It’s fun to sing live, even if it’s challenging. But if I’m having a super tough vocal day, it wouldn’t be the first song I pick. [laughs]
Us: How about your favorite song to play live?
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I feel like that changes with each album. Because there’s songs that I’ve been singing for a decade, and then there’s songs that are new that we’re gonna rehearse and try out for this upcoming tour that starts in April. So I’m really looking forward to trying out “Tombstone Town.”
“Mud” was so much fun to do live. I was flying by the seat of my pants. I didn’t get a chance to rehearse. We had two shows with Godsmack; we were opening for them. I literally didn’t get a chance to rehearse, and I thought, ‘Oh no, I’m gonna have to sing to tracks.’ And somehow we got to soundcheck and I tried it a few times and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is super fun.’
For a complete list of Dorothy tour dates, click here.
