Blondy & the Bears – Album Artwork Download Press Release for Print
Mark Graham’s
‘Blondy & The Bears’ ALBUM LAUNCH
at Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival
Press Contact: Sarah Kelly | +44 (0) 7905 339 508 | sarahakelly@outlook.com
www.markgrahammusic.co.uk | www.facebook.com/markgrahammusic | https://soundcloud.com/mark-graham-songwriter
Local singer/songwriter, Mark Graham, celebrates the launch of his new album ‘ Blondy & The Bears ’, under his new label 3Bear Records, with a live performance on Saturday 5th March 2016, as part of the 12th United Airlines Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival & Convention presented by Panarts.
A seasoned songwriter and performer, Mark has recently co-written in Nashville with twice Grammy-nominated Kim Richey and the highly successful Monty Holmes (hits for Lee Ann Womack and George Strait).
BBC Radio Ulster’s Ralph McLean says:
Mark is one of the most gifted songwriters to enter my studio in a very long time. His songs are sharp, personal and instantly memorable. One of the finest songwriters in Northern Ireland today.
In 2013, Producer Steve Lillywhite selected his song, ’Who Do You Love’ (co-written with Frances Mitchell) for RTE’s ‘The Hit’ series, which reached number 3 in the Irish charts for Ryan O’Shaughnessy.
He has performed at the famous ‘Bluebird Cafe’ and on ‘Music City Roots’ TV (Nashville) and shared the stage with artists such as Ricky Warwick (Thin Lizzy), Ciaran Gribbin (INXS) and Bobby Bear Jnr.
On launching Blondy & The Bears at Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival, and the impact on his song-writing and performance, Mark says:
The impact of the Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival on my career has been enormous. Amazing creative collaborations and financial support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Panarts has given me a platform and confidence to pursue what I love.’
‘I’ve been writing, recording and performing extensively in Ireland and in Nashville over the past five years and have released tracks through social media. However now feels like the right time to release these songs as a collection which draw inspiration from life, love and happiness. I’m delighted that the stage is at Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival.
Blondy & the Bears was produced by Mike Mormecha, the album was recorded in Millbank Studios except for ‘Awake’ which was recorded in California. ‘Awake’ was co-written with Californians Danny Gutierrez and Nick Lyman and ‘Draw the Line’ was co-written with Madeleine Slate whilst in Nashville in 2014.
Mark has also worked with US music publishers including Kobalt Music Group, Horipro Entertainment, Roundhill Music and Carnival Music.