After a previous year of touring, four record releases, and a run on NBC’s “The Voice,” artist Marty O'Reilly is ready to hit the stage again, making a stop in Chico.
The raspy crooner blends folk, blues and Americana, and while these genres accurately describe his sound, he feels they don’t fully capture its essence.
“So much of contemporary music, particularly noticeable to me in the folk world, is like artists are trying to transfer their own personalities, their own identities, into something that's been around for a long time,” O’Reilly said.
“I found something I felt compelled to do, like I had to do, and I knew that was it for me from then on.”- Marty O'Reilly, singer-songwriter
The singer-songwriter has been crafting his new album for several years. It’s a testament to his ability to balance his artistic vision with a burgeoning family life.
“It's an album that I spent a few years making. I started writing it when my wife was pregnant, and started recording it just after our son was born,” O'Reilly said.
”The Rhinefarm” is the name of the forthcoming album. Four songs are currently available to stream, including last year’s release, “Everlasting Terminal Love.”
“There's delicate, quiet folk songs, and then there's big, raging indie rock songs and soul songs, soul ballads, but something about it feels cohesive at the end of the day,” O'Reilly said.
Chairs spinning on ‘The Voice’
Recently, O'Reilly ventured into reality TV, taking his musical skills to the national stage by competing on Season 28 of “The Voice.”
He was approached by production through his Instagram account and encouraged to audition. O’Reilley admits it was something he considered intriguing but probably would have never actually gone for on his own.
“When they found me and asked me to do it, I just felt like I had to take a leap of faith and see what happens,” O'Reilly said.
The skepticism comes not from the show but from his way of creating the right atmosphere for his musical process.
“So much of how I make sure that I enjoy and love playing music is that I take a lot of control about creating the environment where I'm most excited to play music,” he said.
During his audition, he captivated the judges with a cover of Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble.” Before his performance concluded, Michael Bublé, Niall Horan and Snoop Dogg all turned their chairs eager to recruit O’Reilly for their respective teams.
Ultimately, the experience was a unique challenge but rewarding, leading to new connections and opportunities.
“They understood that I did something really different than what the show represents, and I think they really wanted to accommodate and help me fit into that puzzle as best that they could,” O’Reilly said.
O’Reilly will be performing at Argus Bar & Patio alongside Chico’s Pat Hull on Friday.
“So much of how I make sure that I enjoy and love playing music is that I take a lot of control about creating the environment where I'm most excited to play music."- Marty O’Reilly, singer-songwriter
Napster beginnings and a Christmas guitar
O'Reilly’s come a long way since his early beginning days of downloading corrupted files on Napster.
But it’s those downloads that led him to the artist he is today.
One of his downloads, which was supposed to be Wu-Tang Clan, turned out to be a 1921 recording of Blind Willie Johnson. That recording and a gifted guitar from his parents sparked his interest in music.
“I had never really connected with any music like that before, but I really did write in that moment, and I just started exploring that world of old blues and folk and gospel records,” O'Reilly said.
With more than 15 years of songwriting and performing under his belt, being a musician is a path he believes he was destined to follow.
“I found something I felt compelled to do, like I had to do, and I knew that was it for me from then on,” O'Reilly said.
O’Reilly will be performing at Argus Bar & Patio alongside alternative-folk artist Dustin Dale Gaspard on Friday.
