About
Folk that rocks!
muWhen Long Island singer-songwriter Marian Mastrorilli released a new CD, Sea Salt and Sawdust in March 2025, it landed on the FAI Folk Charts at #33 for Folk DJs Top Albums that month.
With a compelling mix of ballads and acoustic rock, its six songs take us through beginnings and endings; joy and sorrow; summer and winter. Songs have found their way onto over 55 radio programs worldwide.
Diversity and the element of surprise are cornerstones of Marian's approach to making music. Her songs can be moody, sensitive or playful; built with a keen melodic sense; dynamics; and rich harmonies. Lyrics are poetic, introspective or witty, delivered with a distinctive voice that tries on different personas: intimate balladeer, sultry chanteuse, rocker chick.
Marian has been writing songs and performing in the New York area since her late twenties. Since claiming Huntington as a new hometown in 2018, she's made headway in Long Island’s acoustic community. She’s been a featured performer at the L.I. Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame; NOOM (North Shore Original Open Mic) and Folkie Fest multiple times; Acoustic All-Stars, Songwriters of Long Island showcases, and Music from the Hive; and has appeared at The Next Chapter, US Brews, Shandon Court, B.J. Spoke Gallery, Bellmore Bean, Milano Bean, Finley’s, and the L.I. Fall Festival, usually backed by her husband Glenn Govier on bass. Sometimes she appears with long-time music partner Charlene Donohue, under the name Project Gemini.
Originally form New Jersey, the beach and her homestate figure prominently in Marian's songwriting. The video for one of her most acclaimed songs, At Palisades, an homage to the legendary Palisades Amusement Park, was featured at NJ's Ridgewood Film Festival. It's gotten over 97K views to date.
As a well-established Hudson Valley artist for over 10 years, Marian led the premier acoustic quartet Project Mercury. Key bookings included Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, Bodles Opera House in Chester, Lycian Centre in Sugarloaf, Warwick Valley Winery, and The Saint in Asbury Park. They released a 6-song mini-CD Down to Earth in ’05. During Project Mercury's days as a full-out rock ensemble, Marian released Light This Candle in '02, gaining airplay on over 60 radio stations, including WFUV, WUSB, WPKN, WRHU, WNTI, WFDU and WVKR.
In addition to her own recording project, Marian contributed harmonies to respected Long Island singer-songwriters Hank Stone's and Phil Kennelty's newest CDs, as well as Paradiddle Records' release, Keep Me In Your Heart: The Songs of Warren Zevon. A long-time volunteer with Musicians on Call, she has broadcast live to City of Hope's network of over 30 hospitals and performs bedside to patients in many NYC hospitals.
Influences/Inspirations
Tori Amos, Kate Bush, The Decemberists, Ben Folds, Elton John, The Last Dinner Party, Led Zeppelin, Aimee Mann, Sinead O'Connor, Pretenders, Queen, Radiohead, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M., Damien Rice, Bruce Springsteen, Vienna Teng, Dar Williams
Kudos
- #33 on FAI Folk CD charts, March 2025
- Philby Hot's 100 Songs of 2023, per Phil Maq of WHFR-FM's Theme Attic show
- Best New Band, Hudson Valley Magazine, 2006
- NJ Folk Festival new songwriter showcase award
- Faded Leather: honorary mention, Billboard International Songwriter Contest
Pronunciation tip: MARR-ee-in mas-ter-ELLY
Photo credit for bio and homepage: Susan Schwartz-Christian
“Each song resonates with timelessness and grace.”
- Tom Haugen, Take Effect
"I love the beautiful original songs and vibe of this songwriter...the sincerity of Marian's lyrics shines through in each performance and her deft use of melody makes for a truly lovely listening experience."
- Toby Tobias, founder, Northshore Original Open Mic (NOOM)
"I'm lucky to say that I've known Marian for many music-filled years now. Nearly twenty years. She first came into my orbit with Project Mercury, a four-piece band with full-on harmony. Then came the solo flights, visiting my venue and filling it with her music. As the years went by one thing was constant: the voice, the music and the ever-evolving songwriting. Now what we have here is a seasoned songwriter at the top of her game."
- Elliott Glick, owner, Starving Artist Cafe/"The Artist", City Island, NY