Marianne Allison

Artist Information

Biography

Marianne Allison’s career is a testament to the fickleness of fate. Once a successful Certified Public Accountant, a very different future called to her – a life in music. And that future has become a thrilling present, with a fast growing fan base and acclaim for her award-winning blend of folk, pop and acoustic songwriting. On her debut album, From the Water, Marianne’s talents as a singer and songwriter shine with her incisive lyrics, gorgeous melodies and luminous voice, and with a new album on the way, her future seems limitless.
Growing up loving music and playing a little guitar, Marianne only dreamed of being a musician. She recalls, “I grew up listening to alternative music. I never thought seriously about being a musician for even a moment.” Marianne took perhaps the vocation furthest away from that of music; being a CPA in her hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Dedicating her life to her career, she soon owned her own firm. With a husband and a thriving career, Marianne’s path seemed, well, predictable. In her spare time, Marianne began writing songs on the grand piano she and her husband bought. “We bought it because we needed to furnish a room,” she says with a laugh. “But I really took to it and started writing.” Within about a year, Marianne had written about 50 songs and was recording them for, “my own enjoyment.”
In August of 2005, Marianne and her husband were forced to evacuate from their home as Hurricane Katrina headed ominously towards the Gulf Coast. She remembers, “Our house is four miles inland, so I really didn’t think it would flood. But I just had a feeling something was going to happen, so I took my songs out of the piano where I kept them and took them with me.” When Marianne and her husband returned, they found their home severely damaged and her beloved piano completely destroyed.
Amidst the devastation left by the storm, Marianne was struck by the realization that, as she says, “So few of us ever really follows our dreams. I had this extensive portfolio of songs and instead of it just being a hobby, I realized that I had an all-consuming passion to start recording them and playing them for other people.” Within a couple of months after Katrina, Marianne entered a recording studio with producer Ken Leonard, recorded ten songs and began to perform in coffee shops and small clubs, finding an audience and herself in the process. And to show her complete dedication to her music, she sold her CPA business to concentrate on music full time with the full encouragement and support of her husband, who as Marianne says, “has been the foundation of support for me.”
Her work in the studio resulted in the release of her debut album, From the Water in January 2007. Atypical of a debut, the album showcased Marianne as a multi-dimensional artist whose talent was fully formed. Its blend of acoustic, pop and folk immediately won acclaim, most astonishingly for Marianne, when “This World” first won Grand Prize in the folk division in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and then won the 2007 Lennon Award! “It took about two weeks for it to sink in,” exclaims Marianne. “I still have a tough time believing it, but it’s amazing to have that sort of recognition. And it came with a home studio and a publishing contract with EMI!” In November of 2008, Marianne also won the Singer/Songwriter Category for the 100% Music Songwriting Contest based in France with her song “I Could Fall”.

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the 100% Music Contest has obviously not been a fluke; Marianne placed as a finalist in four other songwriting competitions she entered with the songs from From the Water. Already signing 5 songs under publishing deals with Telepictures- A Warner Bros Company and EMI. She also has received extensive national and international FM and internet radio air play as well, too having raving revues in national publications such as Performing Songwriter Magazine. But she is now firmly placed in what’s next. He sophomore album, “2 Am Freefall” was released in 2009. “This is natural progression in songwriting for me” she said. Playing roughly three to four shows a week, everywhere from festivals in Atlanta, Los Angles, Nashville to regular spots in multiple casino resorts in the Southeast, also co-headlining “Merry Christmas, Baby” with American Idol finalist- Kimberly Caldwell, has readied her live performance skills for prime time.
Marianne’s transformation from accountant to acclaimed musician with two albums under her belt is an inspiring one, and it is a testament to the possibilities that are created from people following their heart and their dreams. “It’s Not Too Late” is the great closing song on From the Water, but it’s also the mantra by which she’s lived her life. Her courage is being vastly rewarded. She concludes, “In certain ways, this is all stunning, but at the same time, I know this was meant to be. For me, this is coming home.”

Instrumentation

Ty Taylor - Guitar
Steve Warren - Acoustic Guitar

Discography

DISCOGRAPHY
"From the Water" is the debut album from Marianne Allison. It includes the singles "This World", "Blink of an Eye",'"Caught up in You", "Girl in the Tree", and "That's Life"

Recently released "2am Free Fall" includes the single "2am" produced by Tim Coons. Other singles include International Award Winning Song "I Could Fall" and "Don't Leave me at my Door"

Radio Airplay:
99.6 fm Radio Aria ~France
BOLT.FM ~Houston, Tx
BRfm 97.3 ~South Wales UK
mvyradio.com ~New England
Banana Peel Radio ~Canada
Many College Radio Stations across the United States

Her song “Blink of an Eye” was placed on the CW network “Life Unexpected” television show in 2011

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• 2am
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• I could Fall
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• Beautiful World
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• Don't Leave me at my Door
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• Keep Walking
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• This World
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• The Girl in the Tree
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• Blink of an Eye
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• Fragile Eyes
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• Caught Up In You
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• That's Life
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Lyrics

• I Could Fall
• This World
• Blink of an Eye
• Fragile Eyes
• Caught up in You
• The Girl in the Tree
• That's Life
• Keep Walking
• 2 am

Video

I could Fall

Photo Gallery

Press

• Same kind of excitement and fan following... [+ Show ]
  

  "Marianne Allison and the Republic is one of the hottest bands on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. With m..."Marianne Allison and the Republic is one of the hottest bands on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. With my background in radio and now as the co-anchor on WLOX News in Biloxi, I’ve seen and heard my fair share of local bands perform. Marianne’s original music, well developed lyrics and haunting melodies bring the same kind of excitement and fan following that I saw in 1999 with a little local band who first asked us to play their song “Kryptonite” on our morning radio show. That band “Three Doors Down” proved quickly were not just local favorites but international stars as I believe Marianne will do soon as well. We are lucky to still have her here, performing at casino venues, fund raisers and local festivals, they keep their fans clamoring for more!”

• DIY Top 12 Picks~ Performing Songwriter Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  It’s hard to believe From the Water is Gulf Coast singer-songwriter Marianne Allison’s debut CD. Her...It’s hard to believe From the Water is Gulf Coast singer-songwriter Marianne Allison’s debut CD. Her smoky, yet clear and enticing, vocal brings to mind Lucinda Williams or Sheryl Crow, and this eclectic mix of radio-ready, well-crafted pop songs demonstrates the musicianship of a seasoned vet.
  
  The record is strung together by a generally upbeat tempo and lighthearted melodies that belie a deeper lyrical insight. From the jaded perspective of “Blink of an Eye” (“The past seems to sparkle in today’s shadows”), to the album’s cathartic crowning jewel “This World,” to a final message of faith on “It’s Not Too Late” (“Trust in time and only believe”), Allison expertly explores and puts to music the human condition. —BW

• South Mississippi Living Magazine Sep 2007 [+ Show ]
  

  "When you are in the mood for some original new music that is mellow and soothing with a hint of rom..."When you are in the mood for some original new music that is mellow and soothing with a hint of romance and a playful spirit, be sure and look up Marianne Allison. This beautiful Coast Songbird will calm your senses, relax your mind and give you a reason to slow down and smell the flowers."
  
  -Nancy Marchbanks

• Mississippi Gulf Coast Observer [+ Show ]
  

  "Laid back, upbeat, Marianne's soft and comforting voice covers the music with the magic that makes ..."Laid back, upbeat, Marianne's soft and comforting voice covers the music with the magic that makes "From the Water" a great listening experience."
  
  -Phillip Drake

• In The casinos~ Sun Herald
  

  "Marianne Allison: From CPA to Stellar Musician" -Maryann Pelland May 2008

• Treasure Bay Casino and Hotel [+ Show ]
  

  "A gifted performer and award winning songwriter, her unique blend of acoustic,pop and folk has made..."A gifted performer and award winning songwriter, her unique blend of acoustic,pop and folk has made her a rising star on the Indie music scene."
  
  -Treasure Bay Casino and Hotel July 2008

• NovemberStar Entertianment [+ Show ]
  

  "Driven to make music professionally only after Katrina blew away her piano, Marianne Allison, from ..."Driven to make music professionally only after Katrina blew away her piano, Marianne Allison, from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is one good thing that came out of the Katrina catastrophy. A former accountant, who replaced that piano and pursued her musical passion, Marianne cut her first CD, From the Water in late 2006. She is now a rising star on the Indie music scene. Her song, This World won the 2007 International John Lennon Song Writing Competition. All of her songs are a breath of fresh air. We can't get enough of Marianne."
  
  - George Little Jun 2008

• TAXI A&R [+ Show ]
  

  "Marianne- You have a fabulous voice and the production is very well done. It was almost hard to co..."Marianne-
  You have a fabulous voice and the production is very well done. It was almost hard to concentrate on the lyric because the sound of your voice was so compelling. I snuck in a listen to some of the other cuts and I think you have a really great product here...."
  Song "This World"
  
  Jan 2007

• A&R Select [+ Show ]
  

  "Good mix and production value. Smooth vocals and a little twist in the drumming and rythms make t..."Good mix and production value. Smooth vocals and a little twist
  in the drumming and rythms make these tracks different. Strong drumming and
  guitar work. Radio friendly songs with strong choruses keep the listener
  interested. Synth tracks give more depth to the album. Its pop, rock, country
  and more. And done well. Mandolin tracks fill the atmosphere on certain tracks.
  thats exactly what makes this different. The array of instrumentation in the
  music."
  
  Feb 2008
  

• Hampton Productions L.A. [+ Show ]
  

  "Great Show Saturday Night. I was so glad I was in town to meet you and and catch the show. Take Car..."Great Show Saturday Night. I was so glad I was in town to meet you and and catch the show. Take Care and Keep it going..you are one hell of a talent."
  
  -John Hampton Jan 2007

Setlist

Marianne's typical set includes all songs from her new CD "From the Water" and more of her original music from her up coming CD. It even includes some covers. A typical set for her lasts up to 4 hours, but originals will last 1-2 hours. The following is a typical set list:


Better Left Unsaid-Marianne Allison
Blink of an Eye-Marianne Allison
Caught up in You-Marianne Allison
Fragile Eyes-Marianne Allison
This World-Marianne Allison
Tonight-Marianne Allison
The Girl in the Tree-Marianne Allison
That's Life-Marianne Allison
Hold On-Marianne Allison
Everything-Marianne Allison
Run Away-Marianne Allison
Someday-Marianne Allison
Don't Tell Me-Marianne Allison
Don't Leave Me At My Door-Marianne Allison
I Could Fall-Marianne Allison
and many more originals...


We play over 100 Covers from the 70's to present Top 40 Rock/Pop/ Country

Basic Requirements

Calendar