Ramona and the Holy Smokes is a Honky Tonk band from Charlottesville Virginia, whose original country music recalls classic country from the 1950s and 60s.
The Holy Smokes are fronted by Ramona Martinez, a prolific singer-songwriter whose sincere and heartfelt music has been described as "incredibly relatable" and "earnest." She also pulls from her Mexican-American roots to perform and compose traditional Mariachi music in a Country Western style.
The current line-up of the Holy Smokes includes: Kyle Lawton Kilduff (Electric guitar), Brooks Hefner (Pedal Steel), Jay Ouypron (Bass), and Porter Bralley (Drums.)
After taking Central Virginia by storm, Ramona & the Holy Smokes are touring more extensively in the Mid-Atlantic, the South, & New England.
“Central Virginia has its share of bluegrass and Americana music, but an old-school, authentic country movement is gaining momentum, thanks to Ramona & the Holy Smokes. Fronted by Ramona Martinez with a lineup that includes Kyle Lawton Kilduff (electric guitar), Brooks Hefner (pedal steel), Jay Ouypron (bass), and Porter Bralley (drums), the band plays honky-tonk originals in the vibe of Patsy Cline and George Jones. Martinez’s songwriting spans a range of colorful topics, including a smoking habit, ex-boyfriends, and her cat. Piloted by Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard’s “three chords and the truth” ethos, Ramona & the Holy Smokes have turned country music sneerers into believers (I can attest)”