About

Rocksteady TNT - Ska, rocksteady and reggae musician Kelly Marshall with many of her instruments

About - Rocksteady TNT

Rocksteady TNT is the ska, rocksteady, and reggae creative project of Glasgow-based musician Kelly Marshall. She is a multi-instrumentalist on bass, guitar, keys, saxophone, clarinet, melodica, mandolin, harmonica, violin, accordion, bouzouki, tambura, various percussion and more. She occasionally provides vocals as well.

Originally from the U.S., Kelly has lived in Scotland since 2010. Her music draws from a wide range of global influences—including traditional ska, rocksteady, reggae, calypso, British 2 Tone, Balkan and Eastern European music, as well as funk, jazz, hip-hop, pop, new wave, and more.

A bit about her recording process

Kelly writes, records, and arranges all Rocksteady TNT music at home. Instrumentals typically come together in hours. Each track is built in Logic Pro, layer by layer: drum and percussion loops at the foundation, bass and guitar grooves next, then keys and other instruments fleshing out the sound. Any songs with lyrics take longer—shaped by an obsession over rhyme and meter.

Kelly's Instrument Collection

She has a deep love for musical instruments but keeps her obsession in check by hunting down inexpensive or secondhand gear. Some of the most cherished pieces in the Rocksteady TNT arsenal were picked up for next to nothing—or even free.