Liner Notes

Music like thunder

Marina Orchestra Begins…

Songwriter Justin Powers began Marina Orchestra in 2010 with a vision of blaring brass, swinging back up singers and churning polyrhythms. A Chicago-land native, Powers was living in Knoxville, TN at the time and recruited his musical compatriots from the local scene. This mostly included members previously in the defunct ‘art-punk’ band “I Need Sleep” which had stemmed from the Chicago days in 2002. The first Marina Orchestra show occurred at The Bird House in Knoxville, TN on October of 2010. The early Marina Orchestra was a bit more brash than its today as Powers refined his playing (and writing) from experimental quasi-punk into a groovier mindset. The first iteration of the band consisted of

Justin Powers - Guitar + Vocals + Bandleader + Songwriter - 2010 -

Joel Thompson - Drums - 2010-2013

Tim Eisinger - Bass - 2010-2015

DL Bergmeier - Percussion + Vocals - 2010-2011

Andy Fagan - Percussion - 2010-2011

Scott Kapuscinski - Percussion - 2010-2011

Chris Watson - Percussion - 2010-2012

Alaina Smith - Vocals + Percussion - 2010-2014

Rachel Gurley - Vocals + Percussion + Saxophone - 2011-2015

Kevin Horn - Trombone - 2010-2011

Jason Campbell - Trumpet - 2010-2014

Nicole Mcminn - Vocals - 2011

Shortly before the forming of Marina Orchestra, Powers was in the conceptualizing and dreaming phase while in conversation with Jonathan and Fred Kelly. They were also in the dreaming and building phase of their new recording studio, Famous London Recording Studio. As Marina Orchestra was forming and songs were being written, Powers worked with the Kelly brothers on a (still technically unreleased) single titled “Still Ridin’” under the moniker “Million Powers”. This relationship kept flowing and soon Marina Orchestra had enough material to create a full-length album. Over almost a year of recording closely with the sure ears of the Kelly Brothers, Marina Orchestra released “Take on the Silence” in May 2012. This release coincided with their two appearances at Bonnaroo 2012 and a self-organized regional tour.

OCEANS ERA 2013-14

With a good head of steam the band went back into the studio with a few new faces including:

Josh Duncan - Guitar - 2012-2015

Alex Stevens - Trombone - 2013-2015

Jamie Hogan - Vocals - 2014-2015

Nick Swafford - Drums - 2013-2014

Their sophomore album, Oceans (2014) was recorded by Scott Minor and Carey Balch at Wild Chorus in Knoxville, TN and was supported by another regional tour.

Battle of the Bands in Knoxville TN at Scruffy City Hall, 2014, Marina Orchestra took home the grand prize which was recording time at Rock Snob Records. The band joined up with Eric Nowinski at the controls and recorded the EP Wildlands (2016).

1. Nightmare 04:24

2. Wildlands 04:28

3. Call Ellen For Me 03:46

4. Midnight Tonight 03:57

This recording captured more new faces:

Brad Duncan - Drums - 2014-2015

Marisa Ireland - Vocals - 2015

New Orleans 2015…