The Laura Coyle Band

SINGER/SONGWRITER LAURA COYLE and THE LAURA COYLE BAND

Laura is a lifelong songwriter and performer. She has recorded and performed hundreds of her original compositions winning a Billboard Songwriters Award along the way. She has released two full length CD’s, “Lift Your Head” and “Five Mile River Road,”

Laura began her musical journey in the tri-state area, taking up her artistic residency in New York City. She became a mainstay at performances spaces such as; Toads Place in New Haven, CT, and she was a regular down in New York City’s Greenwich Village at popular venues such as: The Bitter End, The Village Gate, Cornelia Street Cafe, Cottonwood Cafe, Speakeasy, etc.

Laura toured regularly throughout New England, Boston and Cape Cod, opening for Jonatha Brooke of “The Story” several times.

Laura was a featured performer at the annual “Martha's Vineyard Singer Song-writer Retreat" at the Wintertide Coffee House started by Christine Lavin and is a featured artist, along with artist like Martin Sexton, on a CD compilation of the same name. She was also chosen as a finalist in the competition for The Guinness Fleadh Festival on Randall’s Island.

After recording a three-song demo with top session players in Nashville in the late 90’s, Laura relocated to Los Angeles for 9 years to pursue her music and a career in acting. Laura cultivated a second loyal following there and appeared in countless Los Angeles venues. While in Los Angeles Laura’s music attorney got her on Ed McMahon’s “Next Big Star” where she won “Best Female Vocalist”.

Laura’s albums, videos and several additional music compilations are available at both www.audiocandy.com and www.lauracoyle.com

Born in Montréal and raised in Connecticut Laura graduated Cum Laude from the University of Connecticut with a BFA in acting and a minor in voice.

Laura now resides in her home state of Connecticut.

JOHN TOTO- BASS
John has been playing the bass for over 30 years, in too many bands to count. Three of those groups have been with Laura Coyle. He has always loved to play both covers and originals, and has found the originals projects to be particularly rewarding. "I've been fortunate enough to play in a few good original music groups, a couple times with Laura. It's quite a thing to work with someone as talented as her, and to be part of creating - and performing - an interesting piece of music." John has performed in venues large and small all over Connecticut, like Toad's Place in New Haven, and New York City, like The Bitter End in Greenwich Village.

BARRY MARK- KEYBOARDS
Barry Mark has been playing keyboards of various types for over 25 years. He was classically trained on piano and studied theory and composition at Manhattan School of Music. His interests span a wide range of styles including blues, jazz, funk, rock, country, folk, and classical. Barry performs with popular cover bands and also appears regularly in Open Mic sessions at CT and NY venues.

BRYAN GARBE - Drums and Percussion
Bryan Garbe started playing drums at the age of 9 studying with Jim Royle at the Jim Royle Drum studio in Bridgeport CT, and has since then performed in various venues across the US including Virginia Beach and Indianapolis. In 2005 he traveled to New York to perform with the Ithaca college classical percussion ensemble and steel band ensemble. He has also performed in 4 different rock and indie bands that have recorded and played across CT and in New York City. In 2006 he took part in the premier recording of Rio Grande Riffs, a piece written by Michel Udow for the ensemble that he was playing with. That recording is now on Michel Udow’s CD called “Footprints.” In 2007 he toured in England with performances at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Birmingham Day of Percussion as part of the Jim Royle Ensembles. In 2009 he toured in Italy playing at the Bressanone Art Center and at the Concino Opera Hall. Locally, Bryan has also performed with the Fairfield County Jazz Guild, playing jazz gigs all over the CT area with them.
Determined to expand his musicality, Bryan studied the art of jazz with Wanard Harper, Adam Nussbaum, George Schuller, Mike DiRubbo, Peter McEachern, and Claire Daly. Taking that heavy influence of jazz, he started The Vine Swing Trio and has been recording and playing local gigs, as well as working on a musical collaboration with the Laura Coyle Band.
Beyond recording and performing, Bryan also teaches the art of drums and percussion both at home and the Jim Royle Drum Studio. Over the summer he is a music instructor at Camp Jam where he not only teaches percussion but guitar, bass, piano, vocals, and how to play together in a band.
Bryan is very grateful to now be a part of the Jim Royle Drum Studio staff and any musical project. He is always looking forward to musical opportunities and will never stop learning and sharing the knowledge of music with others.