Zera Marvel profile picture

Zera Marvel

About Me


Called the "best-named singer in rock" by Alternative Press magazine, Zera Marvel - former front-woman of the band Tagging Satellites, ventures out on her own.
It's hard, if not impossible, to avoid the early Neko Case comparisons. There's a kind of sullen country vibe that resembles Seattle's favorite red-headed export. Marvel doesn't have Case's over-the-top pipes, but she's better at atmospherics: Her songs are tiny, sad stories, beautifully told with an aching heart. If you can listen to Marvel and not get that genuinely sad, old-school country-music hurt in your gut, there's something wrong with you.
- Paul Constant, The Stranger
She doesn't so much "go country" as she does wander down dusty back roads seeing where the stories in her head lead her. The end result is a country-tinged noir pop, the tales of a woman too world-wise to be the ingenue and too hopeful and modest to be the diva.
- sepiachord.com
Why we love her: Her acoustic country is perfect back porch listening.
- Seattle Magazine
Zera Marvel has finished her first solo album titled, "Birds & Bullets Fly". The recording features her enchanting, sometimes low timbered, dusky voice audiences have come to love so much from her Tagging Satellite days.
- Radio Free Seattle
Zera Marvel's vocals are dreamy but she also rears back with a vindictive gnarl when necessary. With one word, she is capable of honesty to the brutal degree like Nico employed so deftly years ago.
- cosmik.com
Zera Marvel. She’s drifting acoustic and dark. There are gothic turns in her stoic stance and she shades country into night.
- Trent Moorman, The Stranger
Then there's Marvel's voice, elusive as Hope Sandoval's but possessing some of Kendra Smith's wearied mystique.
- The Oregonian
"Birds And Bullets Fly" is available on cdbaby.com - click on the link below to buy the CD or MP3s through CD Baby:
I recently set up a secure Paypal account for those of you that would like to purchase a copy of "Birds And Bullets Fly" directly from me. It isn't really any less expensive than ordering through CD Baby, but you can request a signed* copy if you'd like! The link below will take you to a secure Paypal checkout. You do NOT need to have a Paypal account, you can pay using any major credit or debit card.
Birds And Bullets Fly - 10 song CD: $10.00 + $2.00 Shipping/Handling
*Please note when you are checking out through Paypal if you'd like the CD signed.
Video by Stolen Matches Productions (Michael O’Neill & Jana Huskey). Makeup/Hair by Erin Skipley (bellatrixstudio.com). Thanks to Columbia City Theater, Graig Markel, Brent Lehmann & Cisco McCarthy.
If you have trouble viewing the video please copy & paste this link into a new window: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKnxUF8W3pk

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/3/2006
Band Website: http://www.zeramarvel.com
Band Members:

Photos by: Lilly West

LIVE BAND:

ZERA MARVEL
vocals, acoustic guitar
GRAIG MARKEL
electric guitar, vocals
DORAN BASTIN
bass
JON HYDE
pedal steel guitar, vocals
GREGG PANTO
banjo
JOE PATTERSON
drums

On the recording of "Birds And Bullets Fly":

ZERA MARVEL
acoustic & electric guitar, organ, vocals
GRAIG MARKEL
acoustic, electric & slide guitar, banjo, cello, piano, vocals
JEFFREY MCCALLUM
acoustic upright & electric bass, vocals
JOHNNY SHEA BLISS
drums, percussion
DAVE CARTER
trumpet
JON HYDE
pedal steel guitar
GREGG PANTO
banjo, dobro

All songs written by Zera Marvel

Produced by Graig Markel and Zera Marvel

Recorded, mixed & mastered by Graig Markel
at The Recovery Room in Seattle, Washington

Except "Honeymoon", mixed by Aaron Prellwitz
at Tiny Telephone in San Francisco, California

Zera is featured in Seattle Magazine along with Jesse Sykes & Sera Cahoone. Click on the photo below to enlarge the article.

NEW! Follow Zera on Twitter:

NEW! Find Zera on Facebook:

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Type of Label: Unsigned

My Blog

Sex, twitter, facebook and...

It has been a while since I've posted a blog on Myspace. If you'd like to keep up with me (almost daily) please find me on Twitter or Facebook...where I reveal WAY too much information! Here are a fe...
Posted by on Sat, 23 May 2009 01:03:00 GMT

CD Release Show Preview

3/12/09 (Tractor) Tonight is a release party for Zera Marvel's first album, Birds and Bullets Fly, and it's hard, if not impossible, to avoid the early Neko Case comparisons. There's a kind of sullen ...
Posted by on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:57:00 GMT

Check out this event: CD Release Show!

Hosted By:Zera MarvelWhen:Thursday, March 12, 2009Where:Tractor Tavern5213 Ballard Ave NWSeattle98107Description:"Birds And Bullets Fly" CD Release Show!Click Here To View Event
Posted by on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:55:00 GMT

Pre-Release - Birds & Bullets Fly

"Birds And Bullets Fly" is finally available!!!The official street date is Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - but it is available for pre-releasesales on  CD Baby.
Posted by on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:01:00 GMT

"Honeymoon" is the Sepiachord Song of the Day

"Honeymoon" by Zera Marvel is the Sepiachord Song of the Day. Thank you, Sepiacord!    
Posted by on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:33:00 GMT

Birds & Bullets Don’t Fly...YET!

Delay in the printing of my CD, "Birds & Bullets Fly" - So it turns out that the company manufacturing my CD's wasn't just "behind schedule" - after paying them money, and listening to their false pro...
Posted by on Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:02:00 GMT

Head Like A Kite & The Animals At Night

The new Head Like A Kite CD, "There Is Loud Laughter Everywhere" on LA-based electronic label Mush Records is out now. Head Like A Kite is Dave Einmo, joined live by drummer Trent Moorman, and in the ...
Posted by on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:16:00 GMT

Radio Free Seattle Blog Review

Zera Marvel has finished her first solo album titled, "Birds & Bullets Fly". The recording features her enchanting, sometimes low timbered, dusky voice audiences have come to love so muc...
Posted by on Tue, 27 May 2008 16:18:00 GMT

The Strangers Line-Out Interview

Check out the link below to an interview I did with Trent Moorman for the Stranger's Line-Out forum:Stranger's Line Out Interview with Zera The SOLD-OUT show at The Tractor on the 18th was amazin...
Posted by on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 13:13:00 GMT

New info about the show on the 18th!

Unfortunately due to a family matter, Gerald Collier won't be playing at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle on January 18th. I was looking forward to sharing a bill with him, and I am sure it will still ha...
Posted by on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:30:00 GMT