With a serious nod to the 60’s folk/rock revolution and an eclectic conspiracy between acoustic and electric guitars encouraged by coltish pots-and-pans of percussion, the Marty Miles Band is simultaneously divergent and classic. Guided by the smooth vocals and lyric songwriting of front man, Marty Miles, an audience can expect a musical journey through the human condition – the question of disenchantment, the crossroads of doubt, a point of faith, a moment of whimsy, a tenuous hope. It’s a journey upon which listeners willingly embark and are easily drawn into by Miles’ comfortable and easy going stage presence.
Call it electric folk. Call it acoustic rock. Marty Miles is much more than your basic singer, guitarist, and songwriter type. Whether performing solo, as a duo or with his band, he's a consummate entertainer - a modern troubadour in the purest sense - with his own original tunes as he musically explores the landscape of this thing called Life.
Growing up in the small town of Osceola, Indiana, singing old vaudeville, country and standard tunes with his brothers and sister around Dad on the piano, Marty discovered his life’s passion. He began performing publicly in fourth grade, singing the lead in the school production of Hansel & Gretel. Being the son of an amateur singer, actor and magician, he was always included in the local variety shows and benefits directed by his father. A love affair with the audience was developed early on. His first rock band began during 1973 when his friend heard him play a boogie-woogie tune on the piano and said, "Wow! I didn't know you could do that! Let's start a band! I'll get my dad to buy a guitar and learn to play." Then, after failing to make the cut on the seventh grade basketball team, Marty realized he was a musician and learned to play guitar as well. 1964 brought The Beatles into his living room, and from that point on, there was never any doubt in his mind what he was created to do.
As Marty surrendered to the wave, the influences were apparent. With his early rock “studies” at the feet of vinyl, soaking up all he could, he soon discovered the folk giants, Peter, Paul & Mary, which opened a whole new world of musical expression. The sixties afforded an unending mix of folk and rock for his insatiable musical appetite. Today, expanding on what artists like The Byrds, Springsteen, Larry Norman, Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor and Bob Dylan have done, Marty Miles continues to forge new roads into rock’s human side while maintaining roots deeply embedded in the American folk tradition. Listeners have compared his sound to John Denver, James Taylor, Warren Zevon and Tom Petty. Whether playing solo, as a duo or with a full band, an audience can expect to hear ear-watering originals, sometimes spiced with select savvy covers, as he takes you on a folk-rock adventure.
His first recorded offering was the independent release of the EP, “Silver Lady”, a collection of six lyrically poetic tunes that are musically reflective of his folk-rock faith roots. During the 90’s “The Smarty Marty Show” was conceived and performed live for thousands of school age kids throughout the Midwest. A second independent CD, “Eyes”, found its way to his mainstream audiences in the year 2000, sporting a wider variety of styles and subject matter. "Goulash", a compilation of some songs from the first two albums plus 3 demos and a live cut of newer material, was released in 2014 as Marty began work on his newest release, "Folk/Rock Adventures". The new album made its way to market October 31, 2016 featuring his full band who accompanied him during the several years leading up to it's release.
Marty has had the privilege of opening shows for the likes of Glenn Kaiser, Don Francisco, John Michael Talbot, Randy Stonehill, Honeytree and Barry McGuire. His music has taken him all over the United States and as far away as Uganda, Africa. In March of 2008 he returned to South Bend, IN, from a couple years of living and performing in Portugal. Since then, Northern Indiana was home base for Marty’s busy gig schedule. That is, until September of 2025, when he and his wife moved to Cascais, Portugal, where he is “setting up shop” and networking with a whole new community of musical talent.
