“The history of country music has often been written by the outsiders, the misfts and the outliers. Whether it was Waylon and Willie, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons or more recently Sierra Ferrell and Margo Price, it’s always been pushed forward by somebody coming from outside of it, trying to get back to something and getting lost, and Ramona and the Holy Smokes are having a lot of fun finding their way.”
— Holler Country
“Ramona & The Holy Smokes is an excellent name for a band, whatever the genre. But it’s a perfect name for a band that plays throwback country songs written by Ramona Martinez, a spitfire from Virginia who credits “honky-tonk angels” for her song ideas. Backing her is a quartet of dudes who take Martinez’s tunes and turn ‘em into tightly wound classic country and Western music that sounds like it was lifted from the mid-20th century and imported into modern times.”
— Bandcamp Daily
“Ramona and the Holy Smokes showcases a singer whose vibrant vocals blend seamlessly with the energetic rhythms of her band, delivering a set of entertaining songs that will have listeners up and dancing as soon as album’s first notes blare from the speakers.”
— No Depression
“This is one of those instances that fascinates me on how Latino cultures sort of disperse into the broader culture and how it all comes together in the end...really, great, great music.”
— FELIX CONTRERAS for NPR's Alt. Latino
“If you’re looking for a little trad country, look no further than Ramona and the Holy Smokes. The Charlottesville, Va., group takes on old-school honky-tonk with effortless ease, anchored by Ramona Martinez’s confident performance. Martinez has clarity and sincerity that bring Patsy Cline to mind — if Patsy had been allowed to get a little PG-13 with her lyrics.”
— RACHEL CHOLST for Nashville Scene
“Ramona and the Holy Smokes have one foot in country music’s past and the other in its future.”
