About - Rocksteady TNT
Hello, my name is Kelly Marshall and Rocksteady TNT is my ska, rocksteady, and reggae project. I’m a Glasgow-based musician and multi-instrumentalist, recording mostly solo and playing bass, guitar, keys, saxophone, clarinet, melodica, violin, accordion, mandolin, bouzouki, tambura, various percussion instruments—and the occasional vocal.
My love of ska and reggae goes back to the early 1980s, when a childhood friend introduced me to The Specials and I was instantly hooked by the offbeat rhythms, heavy basslines, and joyful defiance of the music. That obsession deepened through early UB40, the UK 2-Tone scene, and—after a formative stint in New York City—the classic Jamaican ska, rocksteady and early reggae of the 1960s and early 1970s.
In the mid-1990s I became immersed in the NYC ska and ska-jazz scene, attending lots of live gigs as a spectator and playing guitar and a bit of saxophone obsessively along to ska records, buying far too many Moon Ska CDs, and finally picking up electric and upright bass as well. From there I went on to play guitar and bass in numerous bands across the U.S. and eventually Europe too, including S.M.A., Longshot, Eastern Standard Time (with whom I toured Europe and sang a bit with as well), and later The Forthrights during the early Brooklyn rocksteady revival. Along the way I was lucky enough to see and share stages with many of the artists who shaped the genre.
Rocksteady TNT officially began in 1999 as a DIY recording project and has remained one ever since. I enjoy working alone, following ideas wherever they lead, and making music that doesn’t need to be repeated the same way twice. Since moving permanently to Glasgow in 2010, the project has been almost entirely home-recorded—layered instrument by instrument in Logic Pro, guided by mood, rhythm, and groove rather than rigid plans.
Lyrics usually come last and tend to lean whimsical or absurd, though current events occasionally push me toward something more pointed. All music is written, arranged, and performed by me, with purchased drum and percussion loops filling in where neighbours and terraced houses make full drum kits impractical.
I sometimes use AI tools to help tighten lyrics or generate artwork, and I credit that clearly when I do—but the music itself is always human-made. If you’re local and interested in collaborating, feel free to get in touch. I don’t gig much these days, but I’m always happy to jam, record, and chase a good upbeat.
