biographical info
As a Canadian living and performing in the hotels of Asia, Marty Kolls stumbled upon a unique love affair with the ukulele. Originally trained as a classical pianist and armed with a music degree from the University of Western Ontario, some new songs were borne from a unique, rootsy marriage of keyboards and ukulele.
An internationally touring singer-dancer in her teens and an accomplished pianist by a young age, Marty Kolls brings a worldly, street-smart modernity to poignant and personal songs. By sixteen, Marty had already experienced being on the stage in front of large audiences in Japan, the USA and Australia.
When Marty returned to Canada in 2006, she brought her refreshing brand of folk/roots to venues like Toronto's Cameron House and Clintons and landed the opportunity to record her new songs through a FACTOR Demo Grant.
In August 2008, Marty celebrated the release of this demo to a full house at the Dakota Tavern inToronto. She followed this performance with appearances at Hart House College at U of T and in 2009, a successful residency at Graffiti’s Bar in Toronto's Kensington Market.
A Marty Kolls show is not your average singer-songwriter experience – audiences are often captivated not only by her ability to jump from ukulele to Fender Rhodes but also by the young singer-songwriter’s use of props and costumes.
Memorable melodies, Marty’s voice and her trademark ukulele strum are paired with vintage keyboards and percussion to resemble a sonic landscape that harkens back to Joni Mitchell’s Blue era, the down-home warmth of The Band and the quiet wonder of 70’s Simon and Garfunkel.