Martin Leon grew up playing music. From about the age of 12, Leon played in a variety of bands, from an acoustic trio to a Beatles cover band. As a teenager, he began writing his own music, melding together influences from R&B, rock, grunge, country and psychedelia. 

“If I could be into music for my entire life, I would,” Leon said. “I’ve spent so much time and so much blood, sweat and tears into this. I want to make the people who believed in me proud.”

Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, Leon released his first single, “These Lights” in November 2022 and his debut EP Mirror Images in July 2023 alongside bandmates Angel Hernandez and Francisco Cunha. In August 2023, Leon decided to move to Austin to pursue opportunities in music and began attending UT. Finding his style as an indie alternative pop-rock artist, Leon signed with UTalent Records, UT’s student-run record label. Leon continues to perform live, headlining at Cactus Cafe on Oct. 3.

“(Leon’s) going-away party was the last time we played as a group live,” Hernandez said. “It was the culmination of a whole year of being inspired by music.”

Leon said he found out about UTalent Records at his freshman orientation and thought it was the perfect opportunity to find his footing in the Austin music scene.

However, days before his audition for UTalent, Leon learned his grandfather, who helped raise him and bought him his first guitar, passed away. Leon said he called his mom to ask what to do: come home for the funeral or stay and audition.

“She told me, ‘Your grandfather would have wanted you to stay and accomplish this for yourself,’” Leon said. “So that’s what I did. I missed his funeral, (but) I did the audition.”

That night, Leon said he found out he was accepted into UTalent.

“It felt like … he was there telling me, ‘You deserve this,’” Leon said. “I wish he could have seen all this. I know right now (he) is telling me that I did the right thing.”

As a signed artist with UTalent, Leon performed throughout the year, including in front of the UT Tower during Forty Acres Fest. He also released a single, “FEEL THE SAME,” co-written by current bandmate and guitarist Jon Colambo. William Paladino, who played trumpet on “FEEL THE SAME,” said that Leon has great musical intuition. 

“While I was playing, I swear I got lost in the groove,” Paladino said. “It felt like I wasn’t in a small little practice room at UT — I felt like I was lost in the music.

After completing his year-long tenure at UTalent, Leon joined the record label’s executive board, where he organizes events and supports the newly signed artists. In addition to performing live, Leon said he’s working on two music videos and hopes to return to the studio and release more music soon.

“I would have never imagined my life to be like this — performing at festivals (and) opening up for touring bands,” Leon said. “I think back to when I was 11 or 12, (and) I remember telling myself, ‘I want to do this for a really long time.’ I’m doing it for him.”