Ally Dheeradhada
From left, senior Zach Ryan, Margaret Harper '24 and senior Christopher Tassone play at Angry Mom Records. Mike Lomino first played drums for them at Ithaca Porchfest.
Ithaca College’s diverse collection of student bands includes groups that vary from one-semester-only cover bands to long-term musical projects that last beyond the musicians’ graduation dates. Lost Mary’s band, with members Margaret Harper ’24, Gerard Allen ’25, seniors Zach Ryan and Christopher Tassone, has become a staple of this community since its formation in Fall 2023. In Fall 2025, Lost Mary’s announced in an Instagram post that Mike Lomino, a senior at Five Towns College, would be joining the band as its drummer.
A four-piece when they started in 2023, Lost Mary’s is no stranger to inviting friends to play with them for a song or two during their shows. In Spring 2025, Lomino played with Harper and Tassone at a Joni Mitchell tribute show. After seeing that performance, Ryan knew that Lomino was a fit for Lost Mary’s.
“You could tell within 15 seconds that this is the drummer that you want in your band,” Ryan said.
As of Fall 2025, Ryan and Tassone are both full-time students at IC, while Lomino lives on Long Island and Allen lives in Connecticut. Harper works full-time and is also part of multiple other Ithaca-based musical projects, including Cast Iron Cowboys, a country band that plays a combination of original songs and crowd-pleasing line dances. Even if they don’t get to be together all the time, when they all reunite in Ithaca for a show, Harper said that Lost Mary’s is the band that she feels the most creative with.
“[When I’m] focused on playing Boot Scootin’ Boogie, I’m not going to go home and write an emotional ballad,” Harper said. “Now, being with [Lost Mary’s] and hanging out with them, I’m more inspired.”
Lomino and Tassone share a hometown on Long Island and frequently collaborate on music. Harper said that Tassone’s connection with Lomino is the reason she was confident that he would be a great addition to Lost Mary’s.
“I knew he was the perfect fit because Chris was his biggest advocate and best friend,” Harper .
said. “I trust Chris with everything. And [at the Joni Mitchell show] Mike laid it down. It was just beyond impressive. It was foundational and what we needed. It was sealed after that.”
Lomino said that getting asked to join Lost Mary’s was something he expected eventually because of his connection with the band.
“We gel together perfectly, which excites me,” Lomino said. “Being asked to join the band was an honor to me … all the Mary’s have shown me nothing but love from the jump.”
Ryan said that with a designated drummer, Lost Mary’s would finally be able to perform with two guitar players. This two-guitar sound is critical to the alternative country and rock in Lost Mary’s repertoire.
“We started out kind of as this acoustic guitar with some drums and electric instruments as well,” Ryan said. “So I think that kind of lends itself a little bit towards alt-country, plus that’s a genre that isn’t really too prominent out here in Ithaca. We thought we would be something a little different.”
Lomino’s addition to the band is not only to free up a second guitarist. Harper said that many of the original songs Tassone has brought to Lost Mary’s have been in collaboration with Lomino, even before he was a permanent part of the band.
“It’s not like he’s just a stand-in guy,” Harper said. “It’s almost like he’s always been with us actually, so it just feels complete.”
Playing together for two years, Harper, Allen, Ryan and Tassone have built a strong foundation of support between the band members. Harper said that she’s grown to trust her band members musically and creatively.
“I used to not be so sure about songwriting,” Harper said. “But sometimes I’ll have an idea and I’ll bring it to them and just to be affirmed in your creative process, not just aided but supported in every way [means so much].”
Ryan said the band members, even when they are not practicing or playing, are a very close-knit group of friends.
“The bond of having a friendship is honestly more than the band,” Ryan said. “So if it weren’t for the band, it’d be okay because we’d be friends.”
Tassone explained that the distance and different circumstances does not discourage the band.
“I think we’re on the comeback,” Tassone said. “I don’t know where [Lost Mary’s] will end. As long as it’s fun, [we’re going to] keep playing.”
Harper said that the band is not looking at the distance as a difficulty, but rather a way to embrace their connection.
“I mean, if by the end of this academic year, we’re all in different places we’re obviously not going to be coming back and playing a show at gardens or in downtown Ithaca,” Harper said. But I think that regardless, whenever we see each other, we won’t be able to resist playing music together. It’s not even a want, it’s a need. Whenever we’re together, it will happen.”
Lost Mary’s played on Sept. 21 at Ithaca Porchfest with Lomino as their official drummer for the first time. Harper alluded to the idea that their next show could be anywhere.
“We have goals,” Harper said, “[Lost Mary’s] doesn’t just stop with Ithaca, but Ithaca is definitely home.”