Marler finds music aplenty with 'Ophil'
By JENNIFER WILSON
News editor
The band is Ophil, and the music is "rock with a horn section."
That's according to 26-year-old Hillsboro resident Shane Marler, who's a guitarist in the seven-member band.
And although the full-time musician resides in Hillsboro, once the concert season gets going, he may not be around much: Ophil once peaked at 150 to 200 gigs a year.
Things have slowed down just a bit since then, Marler said. But now, he's keeping busy with work on a solo album of his own.
Ophil's origins can be found in the humble Winfield kitchen of Shane Marler. Seven years ago, he formed the band with some high school friends — he's a native of Winfield — and a vocalist from Topeka.
Their jump into the spotlight came at a battle of the bands competition in Wichita, which they eventually lost. But they were noticed by a local radio personality, who invited them to play at Oz Fest.
"That was really good exposure," Marler said.
Seven years later, Ophil has released three CDs, lost one apostrophe from its name (it used to be O'Phil), traversed thousands of miles in their beloved van "Beau" — and gone through several shifts of musicians.
"We've gone through countless members," Marler said. Just one remains from the original group.
Ophil has played gigs as far away as Los Angeles and Las Vegas. But most of their bookings are around Wichita — where the rest of the band members live.
What's Marler's role in the conglomeration? He plays guitar, sings harmony, and writes music. The band's lead singer composes the lyrics, he said. Ninety-five of what the band plays at sets is original music.
Even though Ophil is known most for its rock sound, Marler's first love is bluegrass. It comes from his days at Winfield's Walnut Valley Festival, he said.
He picked up the guitar at age 16 and taught himself to play.
"The bug just bit me," he said. "I played all the time."
Now, Marler is inching closer to his ultimate goal: making a full-time living while creating music.
"It's a hobby that's been blown out of proportion," he said, laughing.
Right now, Marler's working on his next project: a solo album.
The album is going to be a world away from typical Ophil fare, Marler said. It'll be pure bluegrass, with all vocals and stringed instruments done by him. But he'd also like to find a female vocalist and guitarist to join him, he said.
"(Bluegrass) is in your blood," he said.
