The New Rockwells
​
The New Rockwells is the lovechild of folk-rocker Marty Boyle and jazzman Ben Muller. This barnstorming duo performs a style of rock all their own - a blending of folk, classic rock, and jazz. Drawing on influences from Billy Joel and Simon & Garfunkel to Steve Goodman and Jim Croce, TNR’s feel-good music has an old-school vibe with a groovy modern twist.
Marty and Ben crossed paths one night at Amherst College’s Marsh Coffee Haus. Impressed by each other’s performances, they began to collaborate - first on Marty’s debut solo album and then as The New Rockwells.
Live from Carnegie Hall is the opening salvo of that partnership forged years ago. The boys have curated a collection of songs sure to delight fans and intrigue newcomers. TNR classics (“Where Are You Tonight?”, “Lookin’ ‘Round”) have been reimagined, concert favorites (“A Few Days”, “Never Let You Go”) have been given the studio-treatment, and new creations (“Here and Now”, “Save for Two”) confidently claim their place.
​
The New Rockwells' sophomore release Old Familiar Way represents an evolution of the band’s sound - incorporating electric and rock elements, as well as rich orchestration, to the good time folk-rock sound that fans have come to know and love. Through ballads ("Old Bones", "Forever and Today") and rockers ("I Fool Myself", "Old Familiar Way") alike, the band explores themes of longing, nostalgia, consequence, and elation.
Marty Boyle
​
Marty “Boom Boom” Boyle, the foot-tapping, rip-roarin’ rhythm guitarist and lead singer of TNR, has been making his mark on Western Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley for years. With an ear for catchy melodies and strumming patterns surpassed only by his instinct for dad jokes, Marty’s songwriting draws on influences ranging from 60’s and 70’s folk to New Orleans jazz to Irish pub rock. His eponymous album, released in 2014, was hailed by the Massachusetts Daily Collegian as an inspired debut from “one of the Pioneer Valley’s most talented songwriters.” He is a storyteller as much as he is a songwriter, a performer who catches and keeps audiences’ attentions with his charisma, wit, and booty-centric dance moves. Since his beginnings in Comedy Folk Rap (seriously), Marty’s style and technique have matured immensely; he is a versatile songwriter as likely to pen a heart-warming ballad as a bluesy barnstormer. He moonlights as a CPA, like many folk-rock stars.
Ben Muller
​
Multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, and hobbit Ben Muller is the musical backbone and groove authority of The New Rockwells. Chevy Chase, Maryland’s native son was forced to take piano lessons discovered music at an early age and has dedicated himself to exploring and cultivating his own sound ever since.
Ben’s influences, much like the music he makes with The New Rockwells, are not limited to one genre – over the years he has played in and written for groups from jazz combos to funk-rock bands to acapella groups to string quartets. Whether laying down some boogie-woogie on the keys, riffing on sax, or convincing the neighborhood cop that we probably might have a license to be playing on the street, Ben’s aesthetic is both grounded and trailblazing.
