“My music is set apart from others because it is completely different then anything out there,” said Orlando singer/songwriter Mark Russell. “I have always said if there was an artist out there like me I would only play music, I wouldn’t write it or perform it. I mean if someone is doing what you want to do and playing your favorite music you would probably just listen to them, right? I try to take all the genres of music that I love and blend them into this sound that is me.”
“Growing up I was always kind of listening to different musicians from Christian artists like Jars of Clay to your more popular artists like Johnny Cash or Celine Dion. I guess over the years I kind of became influenced by almost any kind of musician I ran into and I think you can be influenced or inspired by just about anyone who is passionate about the music they create.”
“I have been singing since I was probably about five years old when my parents placed me in church choir. After a year or so I got out of the choir and it wasn’t until my freshman year in high school that I got my first guitar and I have been playing ever since. Somewhere along the line I started on the piano and have just been trying to get better at each as much as I can.”
“I play the acoustic guitar and piano on stage but behind closed doors I will try to play absolutely anything. I guess my playing style is ME. I am self taught so I just kind of play it how I would want to hear someone play it. I have taken bits and pieces of styles from other musicians and somehow tried to blend it into my own style.”
Russell talks a bit about the well-known musicians he admires, “Adam Levine, Justin Timberlake, and Johnny Cash. I met Adam a few years ago and was completely blown away by how talented he was. He was such a nice person and works really hard to be where he is today. I have also been around Justin a little bit because of our mutual management and he is mad talented. I mean I was kind of a fan in his boy band days but seeing his solo show blew me away. He really is a master of everything he does. And then there is Johnny Cash. I can’t really explain why I admire him but it is just his entire demeanor. He seemed like someone that was just making music that he loved and didn’t care what he looked like or what people thought about him.”
“I write music and lyrics. I really don’t want to be one of those artists who just plays someone else’s songs. I can literally be inspired by anything and everything. Of course, though, as you would guess, the more personal things such as relationships are the easiest to write about.”
“At the end of the day I just want people to be touched by my music and hopefully it will be positive for them in some way or another. Maybe help them deal with something they are going through, or inspire them. It’s my passion to be contagious.”
“It is pretty dog eat dog at times, but it is so important for musicians to support each other. Before I started gigging out and playing shows I didn’t really give the local guy too much credit for what they did, but having been a local band it has changed my view drastically. I have met some amazing people and learned a lot from other local bands.”
When he’s not playing or writing music, the Orlando musician likes to keep active, working out, wakeboarding, or playing sports. “I love being outside or hanging with friends out by a bonfire or playing with my new puppy named Walle’.”
His latest CD, One Take, an acoustic EP, was released on December 13, 2011 and is available from his official site, iTunes, and Amazon. Music fans can follow along with Russell on his official site, Facebook page, You Tube channel, and Twitter.
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