Bios

Fitzmaurice Band

Bios

Maria & Sarah Fitzmaurice

Twenty year old identical twin sisters, Maria and Sarah Fitzmaurice, founded the Fitzmaurice Band in late 2006. Their combined voices, lending themselves towards country and blues, blend together in sibling harmony that listeners cannot help but be overcome by. The power with which Maria sings conveys emotion at a level unheard of among even the most seasoned of pros, and Sarah's soaring soprano speaks directly to one's heart. Upon starting the band, both girls realized the importance of being able to play as well as sing, and subsequently chose instruments to begin studying. Maria took up the guitar and Sarah the mandolin. As the band began picking up momentum, Sarah saw that having two mandolins in the group was unnecessary, and when they found themselves without a bassist she immediately switched. After only a short time with their respective instruments, both girls have found themselves being recognized not only for their vocals but also for their playing, which forms the platform on which the boys of the band can so easily launch into their own esoteric reveries while being confident of the fact that they will return to a rhythmic drive that is unalterable. Maria has also become the driving force behind the band's embracement of original music, having already written numerous songs and continually producing more.

photo by Michael G. Stewart

Brandon Snellings:

Brandon, a Virginia native and founding member of the Fitzmaurice Band, began playing mandolin at the age of 8, and by 16 was also playing guitar and banjo. His truly unique approach to the mandolin is a direct result of his musical tastes, ranging from George Jones to Nickel Creek to the Fray. His phenomenal speed and agility, combined with the wonder of string bending, makes his playing reminiscent of a rock guitarist. In addition to his playing, he supplies all male lead vocals for the Fitzmaurice Band, and does so with the air of an alt-rock singer. All in all, Brandon is a traditional country music loving rock star placed into the setting of an acoustic bluegrass quintet. Brandon proudly endorses Hill Mandolins.

Mike Simms:

Mike is also a Virginia native and the great nephew of bluegrass giant Bill Yates. Having grown up with bluegrass music running through his blood, he began playing guitar and banjo in his early teens and quickly assimilated the traditional Appalachian sounds. Upon entering college, the banjo got put on a back burner and didn't come back to the forefront until being drafted by close friend Brandon Snellings to become a founding member of the Fitzmaurice Band. His traditional approach to the banjo has since become infused with the modern use of melodic playing, creating a sound unique to himself due to his varied influences.

Aaron Malone

Aaron was born in Los Angeles, CA. At the age of 7 his father noticed that he had a propensity towards music and arranged for him to receive private instruction. It wasn't long before it was discovered that he had a natural ability on the violin, and by the age of 11 he was composing and playing the viola as well. At the age of 15 he began studying with LA Phil principal violist Evan Wilson and was also invited to attend the prestigious Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, CA, from which he graduated in 1998. After graduating, he spent the summer performing in Holland and Belgium before entering the Manhattan School of Music as a composition major. After spending a period of time at the school studying, he returned to LA as a freelance performing and recording artist, during which time he began serious endeavors into the genres of jazz, blues, world and rock. Through the course of his musical explorations, Aaron has been fortunate enough to work and study with such musical greats as Grammy winning jazz pianist and composer Billy Childs, legendary percussist Alex Acuna, Red Hot Chili Peppers rock superstars Flea and John Frusciante, and has even played under the baton of Henri Mancini. In March of 2009 he joined forces with the Fitzmaurice Band.