By Kate Bartlett
Porcelain Train has been playing the Ellicottville area stages for many years with their unique Americana rock sound. This husband-and-wife duo have been creating music together for over 30 years, and as the band Porcelain Train for about 15 years. They’ll be taking the stage for Winter Blues Festival this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, January 18th and 19th at 2pm at The Gin Mill.
husband-and-wife duo have been creating music together
for over 30 years, and as the band Porcelain Train for about
15 years. They’ll be taking the stage for Winter Blues Festival
this weekend January 18th and 19th at 2pm at The Gin Mill
Porcelain Train is currently comprised of Ralph and Tamala Fonda as the core duo, with an occasional full band or trio with Buffalo Music Hall of Fame member Marty Peters on electric guitar and Mike Vealey on bass. Ralph plays drums and sings vocals; Tamala is a singer/songwriter and plays guitar. The band has released 2 albums (Same Ride and Crossing Rivers) and is working on their third, with a newly released single, Nobody’s Lovechild. Their music can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music and Reverb Nation.
Originally from Michigan, Tamala grew up in a musical household, as her mother was a music teacher who taught her piano and voice. She studied music in college in Oklahoma, where she began to deepen her appreciation for singing. “I always loved music and art from a very young age,” recalls Tamala. “In college I really began songwriting and singing which was helping me express some tragic things in my life”. I also continued playing piano and guitar and really exploring different facets of music.”
Ralph grew up in Syracuse, and he describes his family as musically inclined. “My four sisters, my brother and I all enjoyed music,” explains Ralph. “We’d casually sing for fun, and my brother, Harvey, was the first to learn guitar.” Ralph always had a knack for drumming. “I was always banging on something,” laughs Ralph. He began playing with his brother, Harvey, and also with his sister, Robin. “We always had fun playing together, and we still do.” Harvey Fonda has become a well-known artist in the Syracuse area.
Ralph and Tamala met at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in the music department. “We traveled over 20,000 miles on this musical recruitment team together,” recalls Ralph. “We bonded over our love for music, among other things.”
Over the years, Ralph and Tamala were inspired by several of their musical friends, including Dave Miller, of Miller and the Other Sinners, and Sam Tambe. “We began playing coffee shops together,” says Tamala. “We learned a lot while we played and were inspired by each other.” After playing several coffee shops and side gigs, Tamala and Ralph decided to make a name for themselves.
They adopted the name Porcelain Train as they felt it encompassed the beautifully fragile Americana journey of life. “My son helped us come up with a few names, we had a few friends vote, and viola, we became Porcelain Train.”
Porcelain Train plays a variety of their original songs along with crowd favorites with their own twist. They frequent the Ellicottville area, as well as Buffalo area, Batavia, Rochester, Syracuse, the Finger Lakes, as well as traveling the Midwest in Michigan and Indiana each summer.
Their music has evolved over the years, as they’ve become more confident in their sound and ability to play live performances together. “Our sound has thickened,” describes Tamala. “We started simple and acoustic, but we’ve developed so much over the past two decades, individually and together.” Ralph has adapted to singing vocals while playing drums and has explored various methods of percussion. “We’ve gained the ability to make our duo sound like a full band,” describes Ralph. “Our sound has depth.”
Tamala finds inspiration in her songwriting. “I remember writing songs in the early years, how unsure I felt singing the words on stage. It’s incredible to look back on how far we’ve come and I’m so grateful our music has been so well received. It’s almost surreal to watch the song go from words on a page, to coming alive through our music, reaching the crowds ears. It’s euphoric; there’s nothing else like it.”
Ralph and Tamala have fun creating music together and find it therapeutic. “I’ve always loved music and performing,” says Tamala. “It’s so special to be able to make music with my husband; to bring the songs I’ve written to life on stage with him. We’re lucky to share this special bond together.”