The Bylines - Songs & Spells

The Bylines play The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts on Sunday, October 18, as part of their show Songs & Spells. It's a Portland duo—Reece Marshburn and Marianna Thielen—who write and perform jazz-inspired, story-driven pop. They're alumni of the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project, and they tour the Northwest regularly as a duo, though they also put on theatrical shows with a full ensemble. They've opened for Randy Newman.

Their discography includes a self-titled studio album recorded by Bob Stark at Kung Fu Bakery and a live album, The Bylines Live, recorded at Portland's Alberta Rose Theatre. The two bring different backgrounds to the partnership: Marianna Thielen comes from composition, classical vocal work, and musical theatre, while Reece Marshburn writes melodies rooted in classical, jazz, and pop. Together they lean into the songwriting side of things, with the jazz influence showing up in the arrangements rather than as a genre they're trying to fit into.

Songs & Spells is the title of the show they're bringing to The Judy, and the set will be built around their original material. If you've never seen them, it's a good place to start—they're a local act that's spent a fair amount of time on the road around the Northwest, so they're well-practiced as a live duo. The show starts at 7 PM at The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts in Portland.