Sky Run

"With this self-released effort, Bales and her band serve notice that there's enough pop-rock talent in this outfit to sing and play circles around many a band in town. Bales has powerful pipes, and she receives support from some of Richmond's most respected players."
- Style Weekly

"You take an All-Star Richmond band.. add in Richmond's Premiere studio musician/back up singer....and it's a recipe for success! Marna Bales IS 'All Grown Up' and so is her music!" - Clear Channel's Lite 98

"The CD...It's Awesome!!! Lot's of great tracks! A great CD from a great lady is easy to support!"

- Clear Channel's Lite 98

Dynamic Duo
The Marna Bales Band has become a family affair.



Country rock fans, beware. The Marna Bales Band may not be too much longer for this world.

Not because the band is going anywhere, mind you, but because the name just doesn't seem to fit anymore with the group's new focus on the mother/daughter duo of lead singer Marna Bales and her daughter Macy Kaczmarek. Though no decisions have been made, it's possible you may be listening to Marna & Macy in the near future.

Encouraged by Nashville insiders, local radio hosts and eager fans, The Marna Bales Band may be embarking on the first mother-daughter country act since that unforgettable puffy-haired duo, The Judds, who reached peak fame in the mid-'80s. This Richmond-based pairing, however, features two striking blondes, one (Mom) with a bluesy growl-ready voice, the other (Macy) featuring vocal cords that are genetically-predisposed for perfect harmonies.

Kaczmarek, 21, Marna's daughter with first husband Tom Kaczmarek, officially joined the three-year-old band as a full-time member after graduating from Shenandoah University in June. The band's latest CD, "Boys Will Be Boys," which was officially released in July, features the young songstress more prominently than before, when she mainly provided backup vocals. It's a new era for The Marna Bales Band, and one that should be interesting to observe.

This weekend, the band, which also features Bales' husband Jody Boyd on drums, takes the stage for the second year in a row at the K95 Countryfest, which also features such big-time Nashville acts as Montgomery Gentry and Shooter Jennings. Bales called us from her vacation this week to chat about her musical evolution, the benefits of being in cover bands and family drama.

Who did you listen to when you were growing up?
I listened to mostly what my parents listened to, which was a wide range of things. My parents listened to Miles Davis so I listened to him. My mom loved The Carpenters. And we loved Chicago. When I got a little older and started listening to the stuff that I wanted to listen to, it was stuff like The Eagles and early Linda Ronstadt.

Has having your daughter in the band changed the dynamic at all?
Macy brings some youth to the band, some excitement because our performances are so new to her. Her energy level has been great. Because we're really going to feature more of her, our vocals – hers and mine – are really the direction that we're going in.

In music, if there's not something different about you – even if you're great – you can't get the edge that you need to gain a bigger fan base. This hasn't been done in a while. The Judds did it years ago and they were awesome. If we could get 10 percent of what they got out of their careers, I'd be pleased, you know? But it hasn't been done in a long time. And we're a lot more rock 'n' roll than they were. If there has been a rock 'n' roll mother/daughter duo, I'm not aware of it.

You have said that you started the Marna Bales Band because "One morning it became clear to me that I was just going through the motions in that cover band. And I was doing it for the wrong reasons…"
I was doing it for the money. (laughs). Because you make a lot of money in cover bands. For a long time, I needed it to offset my income. And then, all of the sudden, I was like "I can't do this anymore. It's not for the money anymore." I had lost sight of why I started doing it - it wasn't for the money; it was to be able to perform.

What led you to that conclusion?
It was kind of like it was one of those situations where all of the sudden, I just had a totally different perspective of how I was looking at things. I was tired of dressing up the way I didn't want to dress up and I was tired of acting a way I didn't want to act. When you do society work, which is wedding receptions and country club gigs, you have to basically be a "yes, sir" "yes, ma'am" kind of person the whole time, and you don't always get treated very well. And it was one of those days when I said, "You know what? I'm tired of sitting in this greasy kitchen during my break, wearing a sequined gown." You go up on stage and they love you, but otherwise they treat you like dirt. And I said, "I’m better than this." I had been in that band for 13 years, and it was past time [to go out on my own.]

What did your years in the cover band teach you about music and performing?
I think being in a cover band is a great way to start learning music and learning how to perform. Especially in the type of band I was in, I had to listen to an Ella Fitzgerald song and learn how to sing like her. On the other hand, I'd have to listen to a rock 'n' roll song and learn how to sing like that. I got to play around with a lot of different styles and really learn what fit me best. I'm not sure you know what fits you best until you know everything that's out there. And then just years of performing. It takes a long time to get really comfortable on stage so all of the years of performing – I couldn't have paid to get that kind of experience.

When did you start songwriting?
I didn't start songwriting until about 2003. The band was not the first step. The first step was writing songs just for the fun of it and then we thought, "Maybe we ought to get a band together to play these songs." I write songs with a songwriting team, Jody Boyd, who's my husband and the drummer in the band, and a girlfriend named Melanie Cox. We're the ones who get together and write the songs as a team.

What led you to take the plunge and become a full-time musician?
We had a Nashville veteran come and spend some time with us. After he came, we realized that we needed to take it more seriously because he said, "You girls really have something here, and you ought to start pursuing it." That was around the time when we started to look into whether we could do something with Macy. She was still in school at the time and we realized that we needed to let her finish, and then we could take her full-time.

Now that your husband and your daughter are in the band, do you ever experience any family drama?
If you ask my husband, who's Macy's stepfather, he would say "Yes." The truth is there used to be a lot of drama. Something kind of switched right around when she turned 21, which was last fall, and we get along so much better now. We have nowhere near as much drama as we used to. But, you know, there's gotta be a little bit – that's kind of what happens with families, right? (laughs). I like her now. And I didn't for awhile there. And I think she could probably say the same.

You've performed at a lot of Richmond events – Friday Cheers, Dogwood Dell, K95 Countryfest. Are there any that stand out in your mind as special?
I'd probably have to say that Countryfest last year was probably the most exciting. There were 40,000 some-odd people and we were on this absolutely huge stage. I think playing in front of a large audience makes the largest impact. Plus, when we got up on the stage last year and started the first song, and I forgot the words to the song, that made a pretty big impact. (laughs) I think I did a pretty good save…but all the band knew. It kind of lightened up the stage for the rest of set.

Catch The Marna Bales Band, along with Montgomery Gentry, Shooter Jennings, Little Texas, Mustang Sally and B2B at the Sixth Annual K95 Pontiac-GMC Countryfest this Saturday at the Richmond Raceway Complex. Gates open at 10 a.m. The all-day event benefits Massey Cancer Center, Junior Achievement and Ronald McDonald House. Find out more at K95country.com.

Katherine Houstoun
Wednesday August 16, 2006 - Richmond.com

Bales puts local touch on country festival


Superstars cast long shadows. So, peer past Montgomery Gentry, headliners for this year's K95 CountryFest, for a few moments.

Let's shine a little light on Richmond's Marna Bales Band.

Scheduled to appear during the early afternoon at K95's CountryFest at the Richmond Raceway Complex, the relatively new band of country-rockers won't play to a larger crowd all year.

"This will be our second CountryFest," Bales said. "When we drove up last year and saw how big the stage was -- there were 40-some-thousand people there it was a bit overwhelming. But it was a lot of fun and exciting."

No doubt this year as last some fans will pay little attention to them. You can anticipate the responses, "Marna who?" or "Bring on Montgomery Gentry!"

So it goes when working as a local band opening for national acts. In that regard, Bales has experience, having opened shows for such acts as the Charlie Daniels Band and Gary Allan.

"It's very challenging," Bales said. "It's very hard to get the audience's attention on the stage because there's so much going on, and it's hot. Plus, a lot of them are there to see the headliner."

Folks ought to pay attention to the Marna Bales Band. They have a new CD, "Boys Will Be Boys," and a batch of new songs.

So what if they have no hit singles. Formed almost three years ago and led by Ohio-native Bales, the band features a not-so-country sound that's fueled on energy and youth.

A 20-year music vet, Bales said that the band's recent addition of her daughter, Macy Kaczmarek, added some youthful vigor to the band.

"We're trying to do some mother-daughter duets," she said. "She's a great singer and has higher vocals than I do. Her youth and energy is great."

They'll need that energy come Saturday. Bets are that they'll be greeted with sizzling heat from a merciless sun, and the indifference of a crowd that knows little to nothing about the Marna Bales Band.

But if just one fan catches on to them then the day will not have gone for naught.

"I want them to say we rock," Bales said. "I want them to be so excited that they want to come see us again. We want to win them over."

BY TOM NETHERLAND
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Thursday, August 17, 2006 - Richmond Times Dispatch

NIGHT MOVES: Hometown rising stars
Local gigs could lead to something big for the Marna Bales Band


Richmond Times-Dispatch
Apr 7, 2005


Marna Bales Band The band: Marna Bales, vocals; John McNiel, guitar; Velpo Robertson, guitar; Dave Owen, bass; Jody Boyd, drums Hometown: Richmond Web site: www.marnabales.com CD: "All Grown Up," available at Plan 9, BK Music, Tower Records, cdbaby.com, itunes.com Check them out if you like: Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Linda Ronstadt Playing next: Cabo's Corner Bistro, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday What's up: Although you can hear its instrumental and vocal work on local commercials, you have to catch the Marna Bales Band live in order to witness the band's passion for music.

The band performed with special guests Butch Taylor on keyboard and Macy Kaczmarek on backup vocals on April 2 at the Tobacco Company, 1201 E. Cary St.

Restaurant customers jumped in front of the stage to dance as soon as the band launched the evening's playlist of contemporary country and'70s rock selections.

Band members performed original tracks off their debut album "All Grown Up," such as "Next Time," along with cover songs from artists who have influenced them, such as Bonnie Raitt.

Some of the band's members also draw on their experience performing with national artists such as Chris Cagle and Roy Orbison.

The group first exhibited their combined talent in 2003 with the music video for "Wave." The song, which was written by Bales, Boyd and songwriter Melanie Cox, aired on cable channel Great American Country (GAC).

Since then, the group has been busy promoting its album and playing gigs at Richmond area clubs and restaurants. Group members said they also have enjoyed playing outdoor concerts such as the Urbanna Oyster Festival and performing for the shoppers at Short Pump Town Center.

What's next? The band is in the studio working on a follow-up CD. Bales said the group could enjoy national success with it but enjoys performing for smaller audiences around town just the same.

"We're into it just for the fun of it," she said. "But if anything happened, that would be great." How does playing as a studio musician differ from playing live? "Everybody in the band plays on local commercials like the Virginia Lottery," Boyd said. "That's my full-time job during the day. I make music for commercials and TV." Bales said that being on stage is where the band's passion lies. "We totally get to do this for fun because the other stuff that we do is for work." How does the everyone bring their knowledge of music together when writing arrangements? "I bring in a simple demo of a simple acoustic guitar part and a groove and then let the guys take it from there," Boyd said. "They always know exactly what to add. Everybody can play almost any style of music because pretty much everybody has had music school training." What was it like to have a video air on GAC? "It was surreal," Bales said. "As we were starting the band we did that video and it all came together. We did a homegrown video. We did it here in town." Boyd said Melanie Cox approached the band with the idea. "She said, 'I'm going to get it on Great American Country,' and she did." What can people expect from the new CD? "These new songs are a lot stronger than the 'All Grown Up' CD," Boyd said. "We were just trying to figure out who we were. We have about five or six songs on this new CD that fit the band better. They are more of what we are." What are some of the goals for the band? "It would be great if we could get a strong regional following going," Boyd said. "We do have a young artist in Nashville that wants to record one of our songs. So if we sold some of our songs that would be cool, too. We wanna play as much as we can. Tonight I'm having a ball because all my friends are here and the whole band is here" -- Angie Castlebury


- Richmond Times-Dispatch

Mother, daughter making music
The Free Lance-Star - Fredericksburg,VA,USA


BEING A BIG FAN of veteran blues singer Delbert McClinton, I was hours early for his Innsbrook After Hours concert earlier this summer in Richmond.
Plopping down right in front of the stage, I settled in to enjoy the opening act, The Marna Bales Band.
The Richmond group is a high-energy country/rock band with, as they say, "a hint of blues." On this particular night, they performed a mix of impressive originals with covers of tunes by Bonnie Raitt and others.
As I watched the lead singer, the attractive and talented Marna Bales herself, mixing harmonies onstage with singer Macy Kaczmarek, it hit me that there was something special going on.
It wasn't just the seamless mix of voices, although that resonated enough with the hometown audience to earn big applause.
No, the longer I watched, a sense grew that there was a special connection between these two women. Sisters maybe?
Curious enough to wander over to the booth where the band's new CD, "All Grown Up," was selling, I was surprised to see Bales herself autographing CDs.
Asking about whether she and the other singer might be sisters, Bales smiled and said Kaczmarek was her daughter.
Impressed, I asked if she and her daughter would care to talk about what it's like for a mother and daughter to share a stage.
Not just in a backwater band, but in a group that just won the Richmond finals for the 24th annual Colgate Country Showdown. And as a tandem that's drawn interest from some Nashville recording execs intrigued by the notion of a Judds-type act.
The pair obliged, and it was fascinating to hear what life's like for a mother and child who regularly rock out together.
The 41-year-old Bales, who's called Richmond home for decades, said a love of music as a child initially moved her to major in music at Virginia Commonwealth University. But studying opera and other forms of music there wasn't her cup of tea, so she switched to mass communications.
"It's helped me in my real job, in advertising" said Bales, who works for The Martin Agency.
But a passion for music eventually lured her into singing in different bands in venues all over Richmond, starting with a Manhattan Transfer-style group. Country, rock, blues, you name it, she's sung it, both in bands and on local and national commercials, jingles and recordings.
A highlight--On Memorial Day 2003, the Great American Country channel debuted her singing and acting talents in the music video "Wave," a video for a song she helped write.
During the years when Bales was first performing, Kaczmarek was growing up in a suburban existence a tad different from that of her classmates.
A few times a week, the band would come to the house to practice. She'd watch, tap her feet and sing along. Her father and Bales' first husband, Tom Kaczmarek, was also in the band.
Some of the music must have sunk in because Macy ended up attending a performing arts high school in Richmond, concentrating on theater, and now is entering her senior year at Shenandoah University.
Though her musical pursuits in high school and college have leaned to theater and technical types of musical instruction, her upbringing made her yearn to join Mom in the spotlight.
That was apparent last summer when she joined the band on stage to sing along on one song.
Though it was a bit scary for mother and daughter alike-- "I knew she'd sound great, but as her mother, I was nervous for her," said Bales--something clicked.
It clicked again when Kaczmarek sang on several of the tracks on the CD.
"There was something special about the sound of us singing together," said Bales, who was glad the spark led her daughter to perform with the band this spring and summer, before heading back for her senior year.
The 20-year-old Kaczmarek said she's loved seeing her mother perform her whole life, and didn't really think of it as unusual.
"It was what I was used to, the way I grew up," she said. "I think it was a bigger deal for my friends, who weren't used to seeing their mom or dad in a band."
The two singers say they love getting to perform together on stage, that their harmonies seem special and that performing together gives them a new way to relate, one that's different from the mother/daughter connections they were used to.
Bales is quick to give credit to the rest of the band for their support for Macy. For at least one other band member, drummer Jody Boyd, that came fairly easily, since he's now Bales' husband and Macy's stepfather.
The other band members are all male performers who, like Bales, have extensive musical experience and connections to Richmond's recording scene. The group of well-respected musicians even have special nicknames for the group's two women.
Bales is jokingly referred to as The Diva. And Kaczmarek is "Little Diva."
It's par for the course for this family where Momma does sing and dance, Daddies rock 'n' roll and a daughter is proud to finally take her place onstage.
For more information on the band, go online to marnabales .com. The group performs Sept. 23 at the Virginia State Fair in the state finals of the Colgate Country Showdown.
To reach ROB HEDELT: 540/374-5415 rhedelt@freelancestar.com

- Free Lance-Star, Fredricksburg, VA

May 28, 2008
Two-Part Harmony

Mother-daughter duo Marna & Macy are together for the ride.
by Hilary Langford

The Queen of England digs Marna & Macy.

The mother-daughter duo rocked the royal socks right off Her Majesty during her highly publicized Richmond visit. “It was a real honor to be part of that day,” Marna Bales says. “It felt very surreal and kinda like we were watching a movie.”

To top it off, she says: “Someone at the governor’s office asked the queen what her favorite part of visiting Richmond was, and she said, ‘The music.’ That’s pretty cool.”

Bales and her daughter, Macy, are no strangers to the spotlight. The country-rock twosome has shared the stage with such names as Sara Evans and Charlie Daniels, played K95’s annual CountryFest twice and even snagged airtime on the GAC channel with their video for their single “Wave.” Needless to say, these girls have been busy.

Marna Bales has been going strong for a generation. From singing in church to being part of a local cover band, Bales followed the music wherever it took her, as long as it didn’t infringe upon her time with Macy. “I used to only book shows within a three-hour drive to be sure I could get home before Macy woke up,” she says. “As she grew older, I needed to be there more for her.” Eventually, Marna took a day job and performed at night while balancing the duties of motherhood.

Then things just started to fall into place. She married her producer/drummer, Jody Boyd, and watched her daughter grow up to excel at music and study at the revered Shenandoah Conservatory. Macy tinkered around in the studio with her mom, tracking background vocals on the latest release “Boys Will Be Boys.” But it was a dare by friends that put her onstage. The family’s devotion to songcraft and performing would eventually shape The Marna Bales Band into Marna & Macy.

Macy, 23, knows her parents rock, but she still cringes when certain things happen onstage. “I know I have cool parents, but no one ever wants to admit that,” she says. “I’ll often mention at a gig how embarrassed I am of the dorky comments [my mother] makes.” Macy also adds that she cracks up when “guys my age don’t even bother with me and move right on to my mom.”

But it seems that Macy isn’t the only one losing it in front of audiences. “Macy has some great one-liners,” her mom says. “Sometimes I have trouble finishing the song without bursting out laughing.” Their comical banter has evolved into part of their show, and it’s no surprise that folks go bananas for these two: They’re real people making no-frills music.

With impeccable harmonies and gutsy lyrics, they snag the best of influences like Sheryl Crow and Gretchen Wilson and make it their own. Flanked by their finely tuned backing band, The Boys of Dogtown, the ladies blaze through set lists that encompass everything from blues-tinged rock ’n’ roll to country so authentic you’ll be picking red dirt out of your ears when it’s over.

While they’ve spent some time in Nashville meeting with industry people and learning the ropes of “the biz,” the future is uncertain in the best kind of way for the women. On the list of to-dos are songwriting workshops, networking and hammering out new material to be produced next year … and they’ll gladly accept an invitation from Keith Urban should he like to record a song or two. Simply put, Marna says, “We’re enjoying the ride as much as possible.”
- Style Weekly's Belle Magazine

Richmond's own Marna & Macy got the party started with a 45-minute set of mostly original tunes. The energetic mother (Marna) and daughter (Macy) duo is trying to make its mark outside of central Virginia with a mix of electric guitar-driven, rocking country ditties and an occasional melodramatic ballad. And clever tunes such as "Boys Will be Boys," "Queen of the Neighborhood" and the Martina McBride-like "Next Time" will fit in just fine with the cuts that you'll hear on this week's Top 40 country countdown. - Richmond Times-Dispatch

It was 10:30 p.m. by the time the 21-year-old Pickler strutted onstage in sparkly stilettos, shaking hands down front, waving to the balcony and rolling into "Gotta Keep Moving." It's tough to be annoyed with someone who owns such a high-wattage smile, but after nearly an hour wait after openers Marna and Macy cleared the stage, the audience of about 500 had a right to feel restless. Marna Bales and Macy Kaczmarek, the local mother and daughter duo who go by their first names, proved worthy openers for Pickler. Their taut, polished country -- augmented by a five-piece band -- was as agreeable and catchy as anything else currently on country radio.

"Hey Hey Baby" and the spunky "Queen of the Neighborhood" zipped with electricity, particularly when the pair harmonized. A cover of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" was competent, if a tad sluggish, but the lovely ladies compensated with a punchy take on The Eagles' "Heartache Tonight."

Those who came for the star power got Pickler. Those who came for some meaty singing got these two. - Richmond Times-Dispatch