“This song is about vices and some demons I was battling with at the time. At that moment, I felt like a puppet and these vices were holding the strings.” Mark Cantwil – Ohio @MCantwil
Listen to the interview: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2015/06/04/episode-238-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax
GETTING TO KNOW MARK CANTWIL
by Jacqueline Jax
Success..
I would love for my music to catch fire and spread globally, but don’t we all? In reality, I view success as being able to sustain oneself while doing what you love. Being an independent artist can be very taxing at times because everything is on your back…. Songwriter, promoting, performing, marketing, advertising, funding, etc, etc.. As stressful as this can be at times, it is very rewarding when opportunities and success come your way because you know exactly where it came from.
The Future…
We have a lot of cool things brewing at the moment. Currently, I have been meeting with two publishing companies out of Nashville about adding some of my music to the client catalog, we are scheduling time to shoot another video for the new album (not sure on what track will be chosen), meeting next week to schedule a time to master “Diggin’ On You” for a Vinyl release, planning a weeklong tour for the fall and lastly, we are in the early stages of working on the next album. So stay tuned!! J
Hooked on music…
Music has always been a part of my life. As a child, even before I knew I wanted to be a musician, singer and songwriter, I viewed music as something very special. My parents were children of the 50’s, teenagers of the 60’s and young adults in the 70’s…. and they both loved music! I also had two older siblings so I was always getting an earful of good music from all eras and genres. In middle school I received my first guitar and it was over… I was hooked!
The Puppet…
is probably my favorite track off of the new album (of course this tends to change daily). I tend to try not to dive too deep into my personal life with my writing (I’m just not that exciting) but this is definitely the exception to the rule. This song is about vices and some demons I was battling with at the time. At that moment, I felt like a puppet and these vices were holding the strings. I wrote this song pretty quickly (the personal ones usually are) less than an hour.
Dayton, Ohio music scene…
Ohio has a thriving original music scene in general with the four main cities… Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton. There are a lot of cool things going on musically with the Buckeye state. Dayton has a very strong original music scene with a respectable list of bars, clubs and festivals that are always supporting local, regional and National music. At times (unfortunately) I think Dayton is heavy on the cover-band scene but there are plenty of options to see original music with clubs like “Oddbody’s”, “Blind Bob’s”, “Canal Public House”, “Gilly’s”, “The Oregon Express”, “The Old Crow Bar” and “The Trolley Stop”. Summertime in Dayton has plenty of music festivals to check out the original scene as well……. “The Dayton Music Fest”, “Hog Jam”, “Miami Valley Music Festival”, “Wham Bam Thank U Jam” and “City Folk”. Local magazines and Online Stations like “Buckeye Music Magazine/Radio”, “Music Connection-Dayton/W937” and “The Vital Music Buzz” work around the clock to support the local dcene and artist as well.
The music business…
and landscape has changed drastically in the past 15 years. T.V. programs like American Idol and the Voice have become the new template for success while download/streaming/pirating sites have convinced the masses (particularly the younger generation) that music is and should be free. On top of all of this, certain corporations (I won’t mention any names) have bought up the majority of radio stations/programs and now dictate with a heavy hand on what and who gets played. So the cards are definitely stacked against the independent and experimental artist. BUT… there is still hope! There are a lot of folks like me that don’t want spoon fed music from the mainstream and there are plenty of satellite, independent stations and online stations that support the outcast and misfit toys of the music community. There is a lot of good music out there, you just have to search and dig a bit. Personally speaking, I am writing and recording the kind of music that I want to and love. I don’t considerate my music mainstream but fortunately there is a market and a void for non-commercial and mainstream music.
If heaven exists what’s the first thing you would like to hear god say when you arrive at the pearly gates… Mark, welcome…. We have your guitar waiting for you?
“Last Chance Johnny” was released on January 1st, 2012 and “Diggin’ On you was released on January 1st, 2015. Both albums can be found and purchased on his website – www.markcantwil.com. Both releases are also available on all major streaming and download sites…. iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, CD Baby, XBOX Music and many more.
Mark can be found playing solo shows or with his band, a group of seasoned and talented musicians that he has branded “The Punch-Drunk Heroes”. Expect a high energy show with powerful vocals, thick harmonies and flawless guitar and harmonica leads when you attend a “Mark Cantwil and the Punch-Drunk Heroes” show! You can also find Mark out playing as a duo with his guitar player, Brett Mullins.