Our Story
John grew up in a music orientated household and was, from a young age, encapsulated by the sound of The Beatles, The Who, The Small faces, Joe cocker, to name but a few.
Maria was 5 years old when she started tinkering on an old, out of tune Chapel piano in her family home. Very quickly she realised how much fun and escapism music brought her.
John- Lead Singer & Guitarist
John- Lead Singer & Guitarist
John grew up in a music orientated household and was, from a young age, encapsulated by the sound of The Beatles, The Who, The Small faces, Joe cocker, to name but a few.
As he came of age, John collaborated and sung/played with numerous bands and with some amazing musicians who inspired him to develop his sound. John drew influences from the great bands and solo artists he had listened to since he was young and this enabled him to become the vocalist we hear today.
John loves to put his own blend of rock and soul into songs to give them the distinctive M&J sound the duo are so proud of. With his smooth guitar layered with Maria’s beautiful piano playing, his vocals are provided with the perfect accompaniment.
John’s guitar playing began at the formative age of 15 and he was instantaneously hooked. Collaborating with both original and cover bands, John performed at local pubs and took the stage at many famous venues across London, including the legendary 100 Club; a bucket list moment!
After years of playing in high octane rock and roll bands, John found that the more mellow sound of MJ’s acoustic vibe served to best accentuate his extensive vocal range. In the duo, he finds he is singing a far wider range of songs, incorporating all era’s and genres and this keeps him inspired; their musical tastes are so wonderfully varied! It doesn’t matter if John sings old classics such as ‘Stand by me’ or contemporary chart toppers like ‘Dance Monkey’ regardless, he delivers the vocal with conviction and power and his enjoyment emanates through without fail.
Maria- Pianist & Backing Vocalist
Maria was 5 years old when she started tinkering on an old, out of tune Chapel piano in her family home. Very quickly she realised how much fun and escapism music brought her. Her parents found her a piano teacher (and sourced a tuner!) and she spent her youth learning classical piano but her real passion lay in recreating her own interpretation of ballads and pop songs which she would spend hours on end with, capturing her amateur sound on a battery operated tape recorder.
Once Maria was established at university, she discovered a love for singing as part of ‘Jazzmanics’ at the University of Southampton and performed at local and regional events nationwide.
It wasn’t until Maria met John (a whole other story!) that her love of music was truly and irrevocably ignited; she had finally found someone who, despite not always agreeing with her taste, was in unanimous agreement about the importance music plays in life. The pair had finally found their equilibrium and the duo was inevitably formed.
M&J Acoustic have a fervent passion for music and the sound they make is heartfelt. They take huge pleasure in experimenting with and creating new sounds. They are flexible and versatile and ultimately, they love what they do and the pleasure they bring to their audience.
Maria- Pianist & Backing Vocalist
