Martin Hedegaard Bill is a songwriter from Holstebro, Denmark, and “Be Present” is his debut single, released February 26th and recorded at Komo Studio in Herning. The song’s message is straightforward: we’re all too consumed by phones and screens, and we need to slow down and reconnect with the world in front of us. Martin plays acoustic guitar and handles the songwriting and lyrics, but AI-assisted production fills out the rest of the sound. He cites Ed Sheeran as a major influence, which is obviously reflected in the overall tone of the song.
There is an irony worth noting here – a song urging listeners to put down their screens and be more present was built in significant part with AI-generated production. That’s not necessarily a dealbreaker, and Martin is transparent about it, but it does add a certain tension to the message that he’s presumably aware of. The acoustic guitar gives the track a human anchor, and the sentiment behind the lyrics is genuinely relatable. The subject matter – screen addiction, distraction, the slow erosion of presence in everyday life – is something most people feel acutely enough that a song about it can land regardless of how it was made.
As a debut, “Be Present” is an earnest first step from someone who clearly has things he wants to say. Martin has already mentioned that more songs are on the way, and the songwriting instinct is there. The production side of the project will be worth watching as it develops – particularly whether that human-AI balance shifts as he finds his footing.