Marthia Sides

Some Assembly Required

The multi-talented country singer/songwriter puts the pieces of success together with her latest radio single “Some Assembly Required,” Helmed by superstar producer Kevin Beamish (Reo Speedwagon, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride.)

The Virginia-Born performer had a successful career off Broadway and in TV and film before launching her music career after a chance encounter with a songwriter while shooting the CMT reality show “Popularity Contest”

“Some Assembly Required” by Marthia Sides is more than simply a witty and rollicking new single about the frustrations of finding a perfect man. Its title is also a spot on reflection of the many different ways to approach the story of the multi-talented, classically trained singer/songwriter’s rise as an indie artist since the release of her 2006 debut Born Again In The Country.

But perhaps the most intriguing part of Sides’ story is how a multi-talented performer who lived in New York for seven years and found success in every area of the entertainment world ultimately became a formidable country/pop singer/songwriter. One of her notable roles in her Off Broadway career was in “Alice in Wonderland,” and her film and TV roles included appearances on HBO, Comedy Central, TLC, and HGTV. This leap from the Big Apple requires a bit of off road traveling to the small town of Vega, Texas, population 900, the site of Country Music Television’s reality performance competition show “Popularity Contest .” Her agent suggested she audition for any show where she could show off her musical talent. When she got picked, her unique performance background earned her the nickname “the NYC Opera Singer”—even though she hadn’t sung opera in years.While pursuing her musical dreams, Sides has never been shy about giving her time and talent to the needs of those less fortunate. Her sister runs a New York based organization called Operation Smile, which raises funds for large reconstructive surgeries on children with facial deformities; Sides has performed numerous shows and participated in many fundraising events for them. In September 2009, she joined her best friend, opera singer Jessica Johnson (who co-wrote “I Got Faith” with Marthia) on a march dedicated to the cause of anti-human trafficking that took place in Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles. Sides also performed for her fellow participants in the event, which was sponsored by Virginia Stop Modern Slavery (VASMS), a grassroots community organization promoting anti-human trafficking efforts in Virginia.

The assembly of the parts of Marthia Sides’ life wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the amazing performing and musical talent that’s part of her family history. Her great grandma was a young, Italian born vaudeville star who sang and danced under the name “Barazzo” at places like the Beale Street Palace. Her grandmother was an opera singer who was once asked to participate in the Met’s Young Artist program. And her paternal grandfather was Elvis Presley’s engineer at American Studios, where The King recorded after his years at Sun Studio. Her dad was also an engineer who sang.