Coweta Women Making It in Music
Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON
Mary Martin, Kris Youmans & Rylee Banks
Music is a part of our everyday lives, whether you’re driving to work, hitting the gym, or simply in need of something to fill the silence. It also plays a crucial role in our identities, cultures, and relationships. Among the millions of musicians filling the world with melodies, women account for a large portion of that number.
That being said, women are still severely underrepresented in the music industry, a fact supported by a recent study conducted by the University of Southern California that revealed that women only made up 37% of artists on the year-end Hot 100 chart. With this imbalance in mind, it is time to recognize some of Coweta County’s own women musicians making names for themselves in the music industry.
Mary Martin
A proud Newnan native who has spent her whole life in Coweta County, Mary Martin had a unique musical upbringing. From ages two to 13, Mary was classically trained in piano, learning to read sheet music before learning to read words.
When she was 13, her parents gave her the choice to continue her piano lessons or dedicate that time to teaching herself how to play guitar, an instrument she was clearly drawn to.
For Mary, who had grown tired of the piano, this was an easy choice.
As she was teaching herself guitar with the help of the internet, Mary was also working behind the scenes in the music industry, taking photos of different bands at venues like the Masquerade and the Tabernacle. Her time spent around these bands inspired her and influenced the way she plays.
Her talent for playing the guitar and singing grew, and Mary began to perform at local open mic nights, specifically those held at RPM in downtown Newnan, starting in July of 2017.
Still new to performing in front of others, these events were nerve-wracking for her, and in the beginning, required a lot of courage.
However, with practice came comfort, and Mary started getting booked for gigs in and around the county, with her first one at Line Creek Brewery in Peachtree City.
With her career in music growing, Mary found that music was the perfect outlet for her abundant creativity. She says she’s also constantly witnessing how music brings people together. “I love the social aspect of performing,” Mary says.
She caters her performances to fit all audiences, whether they are coming for a date night or to get up and dance.
It hasn’t always been easy for Mary to find her footing in the music industry, but she has gotten where she is today by making connections in the community. Mary says, “Once you find one good connection, a lot of meaningful connections can spring up from that.”
Even better, Mary has found a support system of other women musicians in Coweta County, like Kris Youmans and Melody Kaiser, who have helped her along her journey.
Moving forward, Mary has a lot of big and exciting plans for the year ahead. In April, she started her third tour as a backup vocalist for the band Rookie of the Year. Mary and the band are traveling the country as an opening act for Framing Hanley and their Flowers Tour.
In addition to the tour, Mary is finishing up the writing for a personal project she has been working on that she hopes to release soon.
To stay up to date with Mary, check out her website:
www.marymartinmusic.com.
Kris Youmans
Born and raised four hours away in the “Hostess City” of Savannah, Ga., Kris Youmans didn’t discover her love for Coweta County and the City of Homes until later in life. Her love of music, though, blossomed at a young age, fueled by those around her when she was growing up.
“I have a musical family,” Kris says. “None of us are classically trained or anything. It’s more that we learned on our own.”
It was her mother who bought Kris her first guitar at age 15 and sparked her music career, a passion that would grow to fill her life in the years following. When she was 18, Kris started playing on Savannah’s famous River Street, frequenting late-night clubs and building a community of fellow musicians and songwriters.
Once she married and had children, Kris’s music career was put on hold. For many years, her main involvement with music was at church, until 2005, when her kids were grown up and she made the move to Newnan.
In Coweta County, she reignited her love for playing music and songwriting. It was here that Kris started to meet other musicians and play alongside them, thanks to her outgoing and friendly nature.
In 2014, Kris started playing with a group of other artists, now known as “Her Mighty Fine Band.” Alongside her, her husband Warren Hall plays steel guitar; David Puett is the guitarist of the band. Patrick Thompson plays bass guitar, and Jerry Lee is the band’s drummer.
Working with her band has helped Kris develop an even deeper appreciation for music. When asked about her favorite part of creating music, Kris said, “I love watching how the songs transform because the guys are so good and they add so much to each one.”
Beyond that, Kris stated that another beautiful thing about music for her is that it has helped her meet so many like-minded people who share her passion for music. She truly has her finger on the pulse of the music scene in Coweta County.
Kris started her own program called Newnan Unplugged over a decade ago, which features local songwriters and their original songs. Through the program, up-and-coming musicians are able to find a community of others like them and have a platform to share their songs at local venues in Coweta County.
Like those just starting in the industry, Kris knows just how hard it can be to navigate the music world and achieve success. “It’s an ongoing process,” she says. “You have to go into it with love for the music you are playing so you don’t get totally distraught over the business of it.”
It is clear when watching Kris and her band perform that a deep love for music is at the heart of everything they do. In February of this year, Kris and Her Mighty Fine Band had the opportunity to perform for the Atlanta & Company show.
Over the rest of 2025, Kris and the band are taking part in several fundraisers for local nonprofits in the area. She is also part of the team behind the planning and execution of Newnan’s first PorchFest.
To learn more exciting things Kris and her band have planned, check out their website: www.krisyoumansband.org.
Rylee Banks
Ever since she was a little girl, singing has played a key role in Rylee Banks’s life. She has many fond memories of childhood, using her home fireplace as a stage and performing for her family with a fake microphone in hand.
Recognizing Rylee’s talent at a young age, her family quickly started her in voice lessons when she was only eight. This was something Rylee stuck to and poured her heart into for 10 years until she graduated high school.
In the midst of her vocal journey, Rylee also taught herself how to play guitar at only 13 years old. With such talent for singing and making music, it was only a matter of time before her career in music took off.
At the age of 17, Rylee had her first opportunity to perform live at a friend’s restaurant.
She was nervous at first because she had no equipment or experience performing live. But she knew that this was a chance to start her career, so she and her dad went out and bought a sound system.
After that first gig, her career started to flourish as word spread about her talent, and she began making connections within the community. She played more and more gigs at different venues like the Senoia Beer Company, the Summergrove Clubhouse and The Cellar, making a name for herself across the county.
To her, music is a way she’s able to share her story and her faith with those who listen to her. Beyond that, her songs are a way for her to express herself and her emotions.
And there are a lot of emotions that come with trying to make it in the music industry. Rylee has faced a lot of adversities since she began performing, and she has been told “no” over and over again.
She has auditioned for the television shows “The Voice” and “American Idol” and has been turned away more times than she can count. But Rylee knows that’s just the nature of the music industry, and it hasn’t slowed her down one bit.
Despite the challenges, Rylee is still doing amazing things that put the “no”s into perspective. “The no’s have been really difficult, but then it's really worth it when you do have those big opportunities,” Rylee says.
In the past few years, Rylee has had a lot of great opportunities to perform alongside successful country artists such as Riley Green, Gyth Rigdon, and Gary LeVox, the lead singer for the band Rascal Flatts.
With her determination and talent at only 20 years old, more success and opportunities are definitely on the horizon for Rylee.
To follow her story, you can check out her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ryleebanksmusic. NCM
