Ramona and the Holy Smokes have one foot in country music’s past and the other in its future. Their sound combines classic country music of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s with modern honky tonk and traditional Mexican music. They call their signature sound Mexi-tonk. American Songwriter is proud to premiere the lead single from their forthcoming self-titled debut album. Watch the official video for “Gonna Be Mine” below.
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The band that would become the Holy Smokes–Kyle Kilduff (electric guitar), Brooks Hefner (pedal steel), Jay Ouypron (bass), and Porter Baily (drums)–were playing together before they joined singer/songwriter Ramona Martinez in 2022. The Central Virginia-based band has been honing their craft regionally and at festivals across the Southeast. Additionally, they have opened for the likes of Colby Acuff, Willi Carlisle, and Joshua Hedley, among others.
“While we are heavily inspired by 20th-century country music, there is definitely something modern about our sound,” Martinez said. “I don’t know if I can pinpoint exactly what it is, but what I do know is that even those who claim to not like country music can connect with us. Perhaps that’s because country music, done right, is sincere. And I think everyone can connect with music that’s sincere.”
Ramona and the Holy Smokes Introduce Themselves with “Gonna Be Mine”
Ahead of today’s premiere, Ramona Martinez spoke to American Songwriter about Ramona and the Holy Smokes’ latest single and the song’s video.
“One day, driving through a wealthy area of Central Virginia, I spotted a big white house on a hill and started to sing, ‘That’s gonna be my house someday, that’s gonna be my house someday. I’m gonna find a way to make it mine.’ During a songwriting session with my co-writer, Remington, Virginia-based songwriter Maddi Mae Martin, we turned that hook into a tongue-in-cheek song about a southern woman’s dreams of a better life,” Martinez recalls. “While the song was written as satire, I’ve found that I connect more to the lyrics than I initially realized,” she adds.
“Our talented friend Elizabeth Culbertson, a filmmaker here in town who created the video for our single ‘Til It’s Over‘, shot this beautiful performance video of us playing ‘Gonna Be Mine’ at our hometown venue, The Southern Café & Music Hall here in Charlottesville, Virginia,” Marinez says of the video.
Ramona and the Holy Smokes previously recorded a single, “I Honky Tonked Too Hard Last Night,” and an EP, Til It’s Over, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Now, they’re ready to release a full-length album. The self-titled LP drops on September 26.
“Gonna Be Mine” will be available to stream everywhere tomorrow (July 30).
Featured Image by Jill Meriwether
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