Want to know more about The Bylines, our co-producers for our first Wildcard event? Read on!
Portland’s The Bylines exist in a unique musical plane, at once inspired by the big-band past of glamorous pop performances and rooted in the present realm of intricate and highly addictive songwriting. With a focus on grand live spectacle–a facet of music often lost in the digital age–the group is equally at home in velvet-curtained jazz halls, large rooms and intimate venues.
Their sound is the product of a marriage both sonic and literal. The Bylines is made up of two married songwriters whose styles and influences converge to bring catchy, addictive sounds to vibrant life. Frontwoman Marianna Thielen, the glamorous face of the group, brings to the fore a background in composition, classical vocal work and, most obviously, musical theater, illuminating the stage with endlessly watchable bravado backed up by her powerful — yet playful — vocal prowess. Meanwhile, gliding his fingers across the keys is Reece Marshburn, letting loose a symphony of intricate melodies rooted in a combination of classical, jazz and pop music.
The resulting combination is a unique pop confection drawing on decades of influences. As if Cole Porter, Carole King, Dusty Springfield, Freddie Mercury, Paul Simon, Rufus Wainwright and Regina Spektor filtered their unique compositions through classical maestros and film composers, then sprinkled it with a keen pop sensibility and a commitment to putting on the most involving, charismatic and personalized live shows this side of the Copacabana.
Whether performing as a Thielen/Marshburn duo or with a larger band, the result is a blend of butter-smooth melodies, densely layered songwriting and powerful vocals. Most importantly, though, The Bylines musical cocktail goes down easy, and emphasizes something that is so often forgotten when such prolific songwriters present their craft: listening to music is, above all, supposed to be an experience… and a fun one.