Catherine
vocals, guitar
Catherine hails from Houston, Texas, but makes her home in Marlborough. She began her music journey at the tender age of eight, rocking out on “Tom Dooley” with her Sears & Roebuck practically plywood guitar. In a few years she, like many girls of her cohort, discovered Joni Mitchell, and the rest was history.
Catherine gets lots of questions about her quite unusual guitar. It is a “Virtuo”, made by Emerald in Ireland. It has both piezo pickups and Fishman humbuckers, so she can sound like an acoustic or electric guitar. It is semi-hollow with a sound hole along the top, which her bandmates think is a perfect spot for a package of french fries.
Dayle
vocals, chimes
Born, raised, married and worked within a three-mile radius in Bloomfield practically her whole life. Dayle's music career started many years ago with her young daughters holding hairbrushes and jamming in the kitchen. Until now it’s pretty much been…………the kitchen.
A hankering to sing with a real microphone led her to this group of individuals who kindly took her in. She's discovered there’s a whole slew of genres out there besides country so she's trying her hand at them. Little do her bandmates know she's going to have them all in farmer jeans someday.
Shay
vocals
Always curious, Shay grew up listening to many musical genres: rock, jazz, world and alternative tunes, mostly on college radio.
Unique artists and rhythms intrigue her, and those close to her know she spends more time singing in her car than just about anywhere else! She has been fortunate to find five talented musical collaborators to play and grow with, and the journey has been interesting, exciting and sometimes tough…but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Geoff
vocals, lead guitar
Born in Hartland, Connecticut, Geoff finished high school in Windsor Locks and resides today in Vernon. His musical journey started at 12 when he “borrowed” his older brother’s Harmony Sovereign acoustic guitar, playing folk music then jamming to the blues with BB King as his backing track
For the next 15 years it morphed to hard rock with three finger “cowboy” chords and a lot of distortion.
Many chapters later (including choir music, country rock, acoustic roots, studying theory, lessons, military service, a family and career), he views himself lucky enough to play with a group of really talented musicians who still share the passion to perform before life gets away – he is loving it!
Chip
drums, percussion
Chip grew up in Farmington where he started his musical career in elementary school. He has been on a lifelong journey in search of “the sound” ever since. He comes to the band from the jam band music scene and the world of EDM.
Chip has collaborated and shared the stage with countless musicians from the local and national jam band community. His pursuit is to never stop playing and to keep expanding his musical horizons. Whenever he is not playing, his hobbies include seeing as much live music as possible
Stephen
bass
Stephen Iwanski was born and raised in Holyoke, Ma. He began his formal music education at eight, with clarinet, saxophone, and flute. In his early years, he played in school orchestras, jazz bands, and in stage productions and shows. He played professionally in a dance and wedding band and has appeared on television twice.
After a long hiatus, he returned to music as a bass player in 2014, playing in various bands in the Manchester area. In 2023, he met Shay, a vocalist looking for her first band. In 2024, Geoff joined them as lead guitarist and vocalist. In 2025, the arrival of drummer Chip, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Catherine, and vocalist Dayle rounded out what would become ‘Next Half Mile’.