The title of Shane Martin’s latest EP tells it all about where he’s been and the places he’s headed: he’s “gonna ride this life” and play his powerhouse brand of country rock Til The Wheels Fall Off. A Top 5 Finalist in the 2012 Texaco Country Showdown where he competed for “Best New Act in Country Music” at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium (hosted by LeAnn Rimes), the Minnesota based singer/songwriter is now up to a breakneck pace of 175 regional shows per year.
Fronting his full ensemble, Martin has performed at some of the top country music festivals in the country and shared the stage with everyone from Ronnie Dunn, Joe Nichols and Jerrod Niemann to David Nail, Josh Thompson, Easton Corbin, Greg Bates and Black Hawk. But with his amazing longtime rep as the “One Man Band,” he’s also a powerhouse performer on his own. Performing acoustic guitar driven versions of his eclectic mix of country/rock/pop tunes, high octane rockers and soulful ballads, he uses his feet to play bass pedals and tambourine. In recent years, he’s also added a loop pedal to add extra rhythm via an additional acoustic guitar line. He also plays harmonica and auxiliary bongos – with nothing pre-recorded!
Currently one of the top live draws throughout the Midwest, his modern country rock vibe is perfectly described by his longtime producer and now co-writer, Emmy Award wining engineer/producer Kenny Royster: “Shane is a great singer/songwriter on the teetering edge of country, pop and rock where it’s just dangerous enough to be fun!”
