Formed in Seattle in 2014, Marsalis is a band with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest music community.  Its members bring years of experience performing, recording, and collaborating across the region.  Marsalis draws from the melodic instincts of pop, the emotional weight of soul, and the restless experimentation that has long defined Seattle’s musical landscape. The result is a sound that blends colorful pop-rock with a darker emotional undercurrent; they are experts in balancing melodic immediacy and a brooding, introspective edge.

Today, Marsalis has dropped the video to their single “Lie To Me.” Vocalist/guitarist Dennis Zander says of track,” “The song came to me quickly while on a road trip with my family. Coming back home I quickly sat down and put it to paper. Oddly enough, it began as a sweeping, slow 6/8 time, big powerful vocals with a lot of space. Space can be very powerful in music, I like to create it, whether a staggered cadence in my vocals, or built into the song. Then I needed to discover what the song would be about. Lie to Me were the words I kept singing to myself, so naturally I riffed off that idea. Then…I got bored. I wanted an upbeat song. So, I flipped it upside down and it became a four on the floor banger.”

Marsalis began to take shape when Zender joined forces with bassist Adam Bishop, another veteran of the Seattle music circuit. Bishop’s musical journey began early, studying upright bass in school orchestras before discovering a love for jazz and rock performance. At 18, he formed the pop-punk band Go Ahead, which quickly built a dedicated following in the. The group became a regular presence on local radio, including KEXPand college stations, and played sold-out shows across the region before eventually disbanding. Bishop later joined Truce, working with Zender not only as a musician, but also behind the scenes, helping with all of work that sustains independent bands. His experience navigating the regional scene would later help shape Marsalis as a collaborative and self-directed project.

Another key piece of the band’s chemistry emerged through Bishop’s friendship with Theresa Cadondon, a pianist and multi-instrumentalist whose versatility eventually brought her into the orbit of Seattle hip-hop group Ancient Robotz. Through that project, she met Bishop, beginning a musical partnership that would open the door to a wide range of collaborations across the city’s creative community. Cadondon has since worked with numerous regional artists and producers, including Owuor Arunga of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Grammy-nominated producer William Jordan.

Years of touring and collaboration helped shape Zender’s songwriting philosophy, which remains rooted in emotional honesty and constant artistic evolution. “I hope to bring about a sense of honesty in my music,” he says. “Never holding back and constantly re-examining my approach to writing is fundamental.”

When Zender, Bishop, Cadondon, and their collaborators began playing together, the energy was undeniable. Marsalis emerged from those sessions with a sound shaped by the members’ varied musical histories: rock songwriting, soul influences, classical training, and years spent navigating the independent music ecosystem of the PNW.

What unites the band is a shared commitment to craft and collaboration. Their music reflects not only the members’ individual journeys but also the collective experience of artists who have spent years building community, sharing stages, and pushing each other creatively. For Zender, Marsalis represents more than just another band; it’s a continuation of a lifelong pursuit of honest, evolving songwriting. For the group as a whole, it’s a project rooted in experience but energized by the possibilities of a new chapter.