Mark Howard is a songwriter and musician based in his hometown of Philip Island, Victoria. His music blends the flavors of folk, rock, blues, and alt-country while laying down moody and powerful grooves. With a rich background in theatre honing his craft on stage, Mark’s soul-stirring songwriting continues to enchant audiences, leaving an indelible mark both locally and worldwide.
Howard, a native Australian, has taken his music around the world, gaining fans and accolades across 45 countries and from prestigious festivals like Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe. He has graced the stage alongside iconic Australian artists such as Tim Rogers, Billy Thorpe, Ross Wilson, Tash Sultana, Alex Lloyd, Thirsty Merc, and Pete Murray. Mark went on an extensive tour through Australia, New Zealand and the UK to promote his 2022 debut album “Passing Strangers”, an album he crafted while navigating the global pandemic in his hometown of Phillip Island.
On February 16th 2024, Mark Howard released his latest single, ‘Scarlette’ across all streaming platforms.
‘Scarlette’ fades in with a haunting tone before the mellow yet punchy drumbeat sets a funky balance underneath beautiful layers of guitars. Mark’s voice is soft and determined, telling us the story of Scarlette. His words paint a poignant and intriguing picture. The song opens up into the chorus with a classic familiarity, melodic and rhythmic lyrics attach beautifully to the powerful and emotional chord changes.
“The song was first workshopped with my previous band on a rainy day in Cape Woolamai,” Mark says. “Once the opening lyric, “She breaks” came bursting out, I knew what direction the song would take but it would eventually take a few years to
find the right sonic atmosphere.”
Dropping back into the verse shows the two perfectly delivered dynamics of the tune, a dark and moody verse and an uplifting anthem of a chorus.
‘Scarlette‘ was mixed by Dave Prideaux of Sunderland Studio and mastered by Andy Stewart at The Mill. The drums continue to build and build into a gigantic sound, old school blues guitar licks playfully dance between the words, a perfect example of every element working together and steadily bringing the song to new heights. Mark is a born storyteller, and the instrumentation rolls and flows with his story creating dramatic moments and powerful emotions. You can listen to ‘Scarlette’ on our Prime Cuts Playlist on Spotify and follow Mark Howard on the links below. Please continue to support artists like Mark and share this music with everyone you know.
Links:
WEBSITE | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP
Categories: Folk, Pop - Rock, Rock, Soul
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