Backyard Swagger Country Band from Franklin, MA

Backyard Swagger is a country rock cover band from central Massachusetts. Featuring the searing vocals of lead singer Diane Ferullo, Backyard Swagger packs a punch covering hits by top artists such as Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band, and more! Backyard Swagger puts on a high energy country rock show that includes tight vocal harmonies and dance friendly arrangements. Their show also features professional high quality sound and lights by Rob Swalley, sound engineer and bass player. The band consists of the following members: Diane Ferullo: Diane is a high powered vocalist and band leader. She sings with energy and conviction. She has a deep admiration for country music, having worked as an intern for CMT: Country Music Television while earning her degree in Music (with voice concentration) at Westfield State University. She knows how to get a crowd on their feet, and has even been known to join in on line dances, bringing her mic with her into the crowd. She co-founded the band 2012. Rob Swalley: Rob is a long time veteran of the local music scene. He has played bass in numerous bands in a variety of genres, from Rock to Funk to Soul and now Country. He is an experienced sound engineer, both in recording and in live sound applications. In addition to holding down the low end and singing lead on several songs, Rob ensures top quality sound at all Backyard Swagger shows. You can find him fueling up before shows with his trademark chicken wing and Guinness pre-show ritual. Rob joined the band in 2013. Sean Ryder: Sean is a man of many hats. He is old enough to know better, but silly enough not to care. He plays acoustic and electric guitar, banjo, tenor guitar, and other things with strings in Backyard Swagger. He builds and repairs instruments as a hobby. He also likes to sing and write songs in the "Americana" genre, occasionally performing as a duo with Miriam Smith or solo in songwriter events. Sean joined the band in 2014. Miriam Smith: Miriam is a lifelong, classically trained violinist who plays both electric violin and mandolin for Backyard Swagger. From a very musical family, she grew up singing close harmony with her two sisters, and loves singing backup vocals for the band. In addition to Backyard Swagger, Miriam also enjoys songwriting and performing with several small acoustic and classical ensembles. In her spare time, Miriam enjoys training and competing in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. Miriam joined the band in 2015. Dave Taranto: Dave plays drums and is the newest member of the band. Although he's been influenced by many music genres over the years, his passion for country rock led him to become the timekeeper for Backyard Swagger. If he doesn't have sticks in his hand you may find him tapping on anything within arms reach. You'll never see a microphone in front of him but that doesn't mean he doesn't like to talk, so be sure to say hello! Dave joined the band in 2016. Brian is our newest member. Growing up in a musical family-- his father and mother were organists and piano players--he was destined to play music. Brian started playing on a hand-me down Sears bass around 14 years old. Reading music never caught on, so he learned playing by ear. In 1984 he bought his first acoustic and started learning guitar, eventually migrating to electric guitar. He's played in several local bands throughout the years, but Country Rock is a new genre for him, so he's looking forward to the challenge (and the whiskey) . Brian joined the band in 2018.