Presence is the stage name of Southern California recording artist Jonathon Martinez. Through his vulnerable approach to songwriting and his emotional vocal performances, the Ventura-born musician was able to amass over 60 million views on YouTube with more than a million followers across social platforms by the age of 19. In 2019, Presence gave a TEDTalk titled "The Power of Authenticity and the Internet." During the presentation, he states, "we all are unique, which makes our stories important, but more importantly, we all are connected, which makes our stories necessary. You never know who's paying attention to yours." This conviction to be open and honest has made Presence stand out since uploading his first video to YouTube at the age of 14. With a unique blend of singing and rapping, this vulnerability creates a roller coaster of emotions with each track. "I wrote the first verse of “Sad Days” when I was 15," reflects Presence. "The lyrics were part of a remix I made for “Dreams” by NF, who clearly inspired much of my early work. It’s been five years since the remix, and it’s a favorite. I wrote the second verse recently, and it creates an interesting dynamic - you’re hearing a kid in 2017, and a few moments later, that same kid in 2022 (having lived through a pandemic - which is mentioned in verse - and more). Despite the change in time, the tone remains consistent; time has passed between verses, and it’s still the same sad kid writing the lyrics."