Rockland Road
Performing Saturday, October 3rd at 6:00 PM on the Main Stage
Rockland Road is a street just outside Nashville. It’s a studio where countless hit
records have been recorded. It’s a crossroads where country, gospel, pop, R&B and
Americana music has coexisted and thrived for years. It is also a vocal-driven,
melodic band with a signature sound as rich and authentic as its namesake.
Rockland Road is six musicians who share the last name Martin—representing four
generations of musical heritage—all vocalists who are multi-instrumentalists. It is a
powerhouse group featuring soulful vocals imbued with a pure, exuberant joy worthy
of the talented blood that flows through this family’s veins.
Fueled by a mutual passion for multiple genres and longing for a fun, family-friendly
musical experience for their kids, Paul and Jamie Martin began singing together in
2010 with their four children: March, Kell, Texas and Tallant. Quickly realizing that
the kids all showed an uncanny knack for hearing harmonies, as well as for playing
instruments, they began performing shows together.
“Our house has always been like a live jukebox, with an all-you-can-play selection of
musical instruments,” says Jamie. “Music completely engulfs our lives, so our kids
have never known a day without it. And that’s just how they want it.”
“We are a real family, at home or on the road, and we knew there would be an
unpredictable nature to working with our kids,” Paul explains. “But they are filled
with such passion, essentially breathing through the music we are creating,” he says.
“It’s a given that we’re proud of them as parents, but, very quickly, we found
ourselves appreciating the musical talent and the vocal skills that they contribute as
fellow performers, not just as our kids. There was no other choice; we knew we had to
do this with them.”
So where did it all begin? Grammy-winning artist Paul Martin, lead singer/guitarist of
country-pop supergroup Exile, met and married Jamie Allen, daughter of Duane
Allen, a member of Country Music Hall of Fame gospel group The Oak Ridge Boys,
and Grand Ole Opry background singer Norah Lee Allen. Individually and
collectively, Paul and Jamie’s four children were exposed early to a rich musical
existence, and they watched as each child demonstrated God-given musical talent
early on.
Regional performances began to boom, leading to appearances on national television
shows like Huckabee, The Oak Ridge Boys’ “American Legion Christmas Special,”
The Marty Stuart Show, Country’s Family Reunion, Gaither Homecoming and Larry’s
Country Diner, and Jimmy Bowen & Friends. They’ve taken their stage show to
venues as varied as the U.S. Library of Congress, the White House, the Grand Ole
Opry, the Country Music Cruise and countless fairs, festivals and performing arts
centers across the country. Additionally, Rockland Road has performed the national
anthem for many major NBA, MLB and NCAA sporting events, including the NBA’s
Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rockland Road sees every night spent onstage not just as a time to spread the joy they
get from music or as a chance to share their story. Every night is an opportunity to
take a new audience on a musical experience they won’t soon forget.