The youngest of six children, Marty Casey is a study in tenacity. He founded his band, the Lovehammers, when he was 14 years old, and they've been together ever since. Marty has kept the band going even as he picked up a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Illinois, interned for the Board of Trade, worked for an independent record label and became a successful real estate appraiser.

Marty's drive is backed up by a lot of talent. Winner of the John Lennon songwriting contest with his song "Rain on the Brain," Marty has used his originality and devotion to turn the Lovehammers into more than just a garage project. The Lovehammers have opened for Nickelback, Jerry Cantrell, Interpol, New Found Glory, and, most recently, Cake and Gomez on a 21-city tour.

Marty and the Lovehammers have even stormed the worlds of film, TV and DVD. In 2004, their DVD "Live/Raw" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard musical DVD chart; they are now regularly placing singles in movie soundtracks, and their song "This Town" has been selected as the theme song for the World Shidokan Championships on ESPN.

His stage persona, which draws comparisons to Mick Jagger and Iggy Pop, belies a quiet, even shy guy in everyday life. But reserved though he may be, Marty is nonetheless on a search for an even bigger stage, which has led him to Los Angeles and this competition.