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David
: Writing such a personal album, is it cathartic in a
way to get these feelings out via songs... a way to
help heal and put things behind you?
Mark
: It's more cathartic to write a good song, the
verse and chorus, words and all that, then managing
that and getting on the road, to get life rolling
again. I was thinking of that on tour…
lyrically I’ve tried to stray away from the
personal, not too much, not to go on about it but
rather write about characters and develop a story
around that.
David
: Is there an actual Clifton Bridge?
Mark
: Yes
there is in Bristol, England. It’s a very old
bridge. I just happened to see it out the corner
of my eye and I asked my friend I was with about it
and she said “Oh, that’s Clifton
Bridge". So we walked over it and it’s
really just a suspension bridge and it’s just
gorgeous. There’s this sign on it that
said, "Call the Salvation Army if you’re thinking
of jumping” or words to that affect (laughing) and
that stuck with me.
David
: You have stayed active recording albums with the
Creekdippers after you left the Jayhawks, but now you
have released your first true solo album. Was
there a previous reluctance to record under your own
name in years gone by ?
Mark
: Gees,
yeah I guess so. I’ve always just worked with
someone else or a group and with Victoria (ex-wife
Victoria Williams). What happened was I found I
was by myself and I really couldn’t tour until I had
an album out.
We
put out those Creekdippers albums in Germany, even
though all the energy was mine behind that; this is
the first album under my own name.
David
: Having recorded your first solo album, what pros and
cons is there to recording with a band versus doing it
solo ?
Mark
: Well
with the band you have other strong musical partners
that can add stuff that you never could and the cons
would be... well you end up like me and no possibility
of touring and making a living because other band
members have their own lives. I think I know the
pros and cons... thank you, I think I can answer that
one (laughing).
David
: Is it difficult to open yourself up, to write such
personal songs and then have to talk about them and
explain them later on via interviews ? I would imagine
people bringing up your divorce and some of the tough
times you've experienced being awkward in a way?
Mark
: Yeah,
people do bring it up and it’s uncomfortable.
In fact I told the manager that maybe it was best we
never had that in the bio but thought it was best the
situation told the way it was. I think the
record is good enough for people to notice that on
their own.
David
: Over the past year or two, you've seemed to have
re-kindled your musical relationship with fellow ex-Jayhawk
Gary Louris. You've done some touring with him
and writing as well on the new album. What is it
about Gary that attracts you to working with
him? Is it a case of musically, you two just
click?
Mark
: Yeah,
we started out so long ago, so we just kind of fall
into place it’s so natural.
David
: I've read that you and Gary will be releasing an
album together coming up, tell us about that?
Mark
: Yeah,
we’ve worked on it this past winter; hopefully it
will come out this spring or fall.
David
: Ok, let me stop you there, I have to ask this... was
there ever at any time a thought of just calling it
The Jayhawks ?
Mark
: Well
I would like to do that, that’s more of a business
thing. I’m not sure how that works and how it
stands right now but yeah I would like to.
David
: This album seems to have been written all over the
place, was there one place in-particular that you
found most inspirational ?
Mark
: There
were 2 main places I wrote. I went there because
there were people there that I had met on tour, so it
was more about the people. Those people were
like musical people, like engineers and like that.
So that’s why I went there and those places were
Cardiff, Wales and Oslo, Norway. I’ve had
really good shows there and got to know some people
there. I kinda went there for the people.
A place can be beautiful but if you don’t know
anyone, it’s kinda strange you know ? You can
go look at buildings and such but then say “Wow, I
wish I had someone to share this with”.
I
was inspired by Cardiff and the language. I have
relatives in Minnesota who are from Ireland and Norway
who kind of still speak with this accent, like my
grandparents generation. So when I got to Wales
I was like “Wow, I recognize this language” the
way they put together their verbs and nouns and tell
stories and all things like that. So I think if
anything, I think that was the most interesting, that
I was influenced by the language and that kinda stuff
around me.
David
: I've read that the other option in your life to
releasing this album was to go back to school?
Mark
: Actually
I did enrol but then I had this opportunity to go to
Wales to be with these people who were like engineers
so I went ahead and did that. I thought I would
give it one more shot. Thankfully it worked out.
David
: Having had this album receive such glowing reviews
and response from the public, do you foresee that
being an option or do you think you will grace us with
more albums in the future ?
Mark
: I’m
going to stick with music for sure. I’m booked
until Christmas and it worked, it worked ! I
love to play music. It wasn’t for lack of
loving music. At the time I just didn’t know
what I was going to do. I couldn’t tour as I
had no album to tour.
David
: Although this is a very stripped down album
musically speaking and there are some pretty heavy
themes being explored, there are certainly strong
elements of optimism and positivity. After all
is said and done, is that what you would like the
listener to walk away with having heard the album...
that there is hope after tragedy?
Mark
: Yeah,
yeah…that’s exactly it. If something is just
down, down, down... it gets to be too much you know
? You need to put things up against each other.
David
: Tell me about the packaging of this CD.
In a world of instant downloads and ipods,
you've given your fans new and old something special
with this entire package. In a way it almost
demands you to buy it rather than download it because
the packaging is so cool.
Mark
: That
was partly because I've kinda been working on words
and I thought well, might as well make it look like a
book and draw attention to it that way. That was
the idea of that. Then we just had fun with it
after that. There was always a lot of books
growing up and it’s just a nice thing to hold and I
miss albums. They were better than CD’s, let’s
just say that. So that’s kind of a tip of the
hat to that. That feeling... to get something
with thought and feeling in the artwork. The
other thing was my manager. He did this nice
thing, I did the Creekdippers artwork myself and he
thought it was pretty bad, so this is what we did.
David
: Speaking of which, now that you’re starting up
again as a solo artist, what is your take on this
instant now ipod world ?
Mark
: I
don’t know what to say, I wish they would just
declare that records are better and start making them
again. That’s my only take on it really.
I've never downloaded a song myself. I don’t
understand that. So I’ve never done it.
I don’t really have negative feelings about it
really. I just want to go out and mill through a
record store or tape something from someone else’s
record collection. I think I’ve gotten some of
my favourite music that way. As far as just
tapping stuff and going to someone’s house, that’s
something fun to do but just sitting on your computer
and just grabbing a song at a time, I just don’t get
that. I think I am from a different
generation. I’m happy for them if that’s
what they want to do. It defiantly has cost us a
little bit of our art form, if it is such an art form.
David
: Financially speaking, does it not bother you or
affect you?
Mark
: Well
I’m sure it does. I’m trying to live within
what is going on now and for me, I have to tour to
make money and I am fine with that. Although
there is a lot less money floating around these days
to record with, I guess they just don’t sell anymore.
There’s not a lot of fat left anymore in the
industry. I watched my European recording budget
go from ten thousand to eight thousand to four
thousand to two thousand on four records during that
time.
David
: Seeing as you’re a fan of vinyl, any plans to
release your new CD on vinyl ?
Mark
: I
would love that. There is no plan right now that
I know of. Just now they are printing the second
pressing of the CD and now they are going to say
“Now on paperback” !
David
: Thanks Mark, it’s been a pleasure talking to you.
Mark
: Absolutely,
see you when we get to Canada !
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