Maria DeMaio
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Maria DeMaio

Band Pop Singer/Songwriter

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"Winner - Song of the Year Contest"

Maria' "Depth of Me" won the month of January in the Internationally acclaimed songwriting competition Song of the Year. Judges included Grammy Award winners, reps from Rolling Stone Magazine, ABC Television, and individuals who have worked with U2, Faith Hill,The Goo Goo Dolls, & more. - Song of the Year


"MD & The Fellas is Radio 92.9FM's Local Band of the Week!"

Radio 92.9FM has picked Maria DeMaio & The Fellas to be their local band of the week. The Greater Media radio station is playing clips of Maria's song "Eleanor" on air and offering it as a free download through their website. - na


"MD & The Fellas Featured on Live365.com this Fall "

Live365.com is featuring Maria on their "WOS – Best of AAA". The show will air every Monday evening from 10 – 11pm this fall and Maria will be played every week! Click Here to tune in: http://www.live365.com/stations/breenoble - Live365.com


"Maria Nominated in the 2008 Toronto Exclusive Magazine Awards"

Maria DeMaio's self titled debut release has been nominated for "Best International Pop CD Album" in the 2008 Toronto Exclusive Magazine Awards.

Toronto Exclusive Magazine is not only a print publication, but also a promoter
of events focusing on the independent music and fashion industry in Toronto.
They welcome talents from all over the world to be nominated and gain
recognition and industry respect for their work and talent.
- Toronto Exclusive Magazine


"WERS Artist Interview"

February 06, 2009

Maria DeMaio began her singing career at the age of three by singing Robert Palmer’s “Bad Case of Loving You” in her parents' car. Since then, her voice has developed into that of a beautiful songstress, a voice that is at once as full of energy and power as it of sorrow and soul. On top of this metamorphosis, she has added a backing band; together, they form Maria DeMaio and the Fellas. The Fellas consist of two guitarists, Reid Angwin and Mike Giordano, Mike Stavitz on drums, and the recent addition of John Schmidt, who has taken over for Giordano on bass. The band dropped their first album in 2008, the self-titled Maria DeMaio, which was lauded with numerous awards and nominations.

Maria DeMaio and the Fellas braved the bitter cold this afternoon to come to the WERS studio to make their second appearance on a Live Mix. Rather than playing material off of their album, the band chose to play three new songs. The first of these was “Fortress,” which featured Giordano on a mournful lapsteel guitar and DeMaio belting out soulful lyrics like “We can rise above” over a sea of her own shimmering piano. The second song, “Sweet Lorraine,” was a tribute to DeMaio’s piano teacher, who recently passed away. Ironically, DeMaio didn’t play piano during this one, but instead sang and danced enthusiastically to a song full of joyful, rocking guitars. For the third song, “Waiting on a Love,” DeMaio got on a reverb infused keyboard for a sultry tune that slowly built into a rocking chorus and finished with a bluesy guitar section.

The band say they plan to keep writing new material and hope to get back into the recording studio by the end of the year. However, they plan on changing up their style a bit for this new album. While their first was singer/songwriter-esque, DeMaio says that next album is a lot more “rootsy." She says that with the addition of Schmidt on bass and Giordano picking up a guitar, the songs are “definitely a lot more rocking.” This was very evident in the new songs they played this afternoon, which almost make them sound like a different band compared to their first album. They also say that they’re booking shows for the spring already, with plans to head out for New York in March, stop in Maine and Western Massachusetts, and be back in Boston for April. So for fans in the Boston area, start counting down on those calendars.

www.mariademaio.com

-Alex Schab - WERS 88.9FM Boston


"WFNX Quote"

Combining the best elements of Norah Jones, Tori Amos, and Sarah McLachlan... Maria DeMaio proves herself quite the frontwoman. - Keith Dakin, Program Director, WFNX Boston


"CD Review"

Based in the deep Boston music scene, Maria DeMaio & The Fellas have built quite a following in the past two years. She has been featured on XM Radios' XMU Unsigned and radio station WERS in Boston. What does a rocker do after navigating the Boston Scene to rave reviews for a couple of years? You take a leap of faith into the national scene and see if you can swim in the deep waters outside of Boston Harbor. With Maria DeMaio & The Fella's debut CD, Maria DeMaio, they have definitely put their best foot forward.

Maria DeMaio has a smoky, sultry voice that fills up your ears. Her band is absolutely tight and works the blues/funk influences nicely into some great rock tunes. Highlights include Her Side, Beyond The Pale, Swell, Eleanor and Fine Line. Honestly, my favorite song on the album is Further Behind, which shows a little more vulnerability and finesse than the straight forward rock tunes. This song is the keystone in that it shows that Maria DeMaio is more than just a blues-rock maven, but is an artist who can stretch and grow beyond the mold that she is obviously comfortable with (and so good at).

Maria DeMaio (the singer) is a talent who should be around for some time. Maria DeMaio (the album) is declaration and delightful promise that she is here to stay.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Wildy's World ranked the CD in the top 25 CDs of the first half of 2008.
- Wildy's World


Discography

Maria DeMaio (self-titled release)
Year: 2007
Produced by: Billy Conway at Hi-n-Dry Studios in Cambridge, MA & the band
Recorded by: Jabe Beyer
Mixed by: Matt Malikowski
Mastered by: Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering

Maria's tracks have been played on:
XM Radio's Unsigned
WXRV 92,5 The River FM, Boston, MA
WFNX 101.7 FM, Boston, MA
WMFO 91.5 FM, Boston, MA
WERS 88.9 FM, Boston, MA
WMVY 92.7 FM, Vineyard Haven, MA
WWSU 106.9, Dayton, Ohio
Live 365.com, Women of the 90s
Exploit Radio Boston, MA

Photos

Bio

Start with the sultry delivery of Fiona Apple, add equal parts soul of indie rock, and a dash of pop…shake well and you’ve got all the motivation you need to check out Maria DeMaio’s tasty debut cd.

The Boston based singer-songwriter has been performing since the age of three, when she belted out an impromptu version of Robert Palmer’s “Bad Case of Loving You” from her car seat. She has since forged a name for herself, winning over audiences at such staples as New York City’s The Bitter End and Boston’s Lizard Lounge with her one-two punch of refreshing songwriting and a powerhouse voice that has been called both “haunting” and “quietly scintillating.”

DeMaio, along with her band “The Fellas” fuse the catchiness of pop and the raw emotion of blues into a seamless blend that conjures shades of the top artists of the past 30 years. She combines her soulful delivery with intensely personal songwriting that is steeped in intent and sincerity, a winning recipe that earned her a nomination for Best International Pop CD Album by Toronto Exclusive Magazine and a finalist slot in the international Song of the Year contest, supporting VH1’s Save the Music.

DeMaio teamed up with producer Billy Conway (Morphine, Twinemen, Dennis Brennan) to record her self-titled debut cd at the legendary Hi-N-Dry studios in Somerville, MA. The CD is packed with songs that are as catchy as they are clever, demonstrating that pop can break free of its cookie cutter roots. Backed by an ever-increasing fan base, Maria DeMaio is well on her way to showing us just how far her sound can go.