Monthly Newsletter Digest
JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
GETTING TO NO (KNOW?) EXPECTATIONS
Most of us intuitively understand how environmental conditions shape an organism’s life and development: a tree bent by a freak ice storm remains hunched years later, sending new branches straight up toward the sun; a heavy acorn fall in autumn leads to a bumper crop of squirrels, chipmunks, and mice in spring. We are far less aware of our own animal selves. With our big brains, opposable thumbs, and belief in free will, we take pride in our efforts to insulate ourselves from our environment. Yet the physical and emotional conditions of our youth continue to shape our growth and mindset for years.
I grew up mimicking the moves in the Thriller video, dancing in a red parka and one winter glove in the blue glow of the TV. My favorite bands sold millions of records and dominated the cultural landscape. As a young musician, I dreamed my songs might one day have that kind of reach. Even as the internet transformed the music business, I carried those fantasies with me, like a trait encoded into my very genes. Each time a friend experienced a breakout moment, it seemed to reaffirm my own path and the validity of my hopes.
Twenty-seven years later, I still haven’t had a hit song or record. The very idea of a “hit” has morphed into something far less tangible—a mix of zeros and ones, screens, and social-media metrics. Still, the songs keep coming. I keep making albums, and if I’m honest, those old dreams—echoes of how I grew up—remain vexingly persistent. As I prepare to release my fourteenth album, Spring Green, I’ve caught myself wondering more than once: maybe this will be the one.
I’m only human, and it’s only natural to project the future from my lived experience. Rather than curse myself for having expectations, this time I’m trying to acknowledge them—and then let them go. Can I recognize them, set them aside, and rededicate myself to the work at hand? If I were a Buddhist, I’d practice mindfulness, extend compassion to myself, and accept the present moment. That’s a tall, multidimensional New Year’s resolution—but I’m going to try.
“Weary Traveler,” the next single from the new album arrives on Wed Jan 7th. You have no idea how excited I am to share Spring Green with you.
IRELAND TOUR WITH DINTY CHILD
My long-time co-writing partner Dinty Child and I are headed to Ireland! I’ve always wanted to tour in Ireland, this will be my first time playing my own songs and shows there. We’ll perform exclusively the songs Dinty and I have written together (“Look Up,” “Western Veil,” and many more). We also have to good fortune to be able to hook up with our good friend Jeffrey Martin to open a couple shows for him, and one for Niamh Regan as well. If you know anyone in Ireland…send them our way!
23 Jan - Levi’s Corner House, Ballydehob - 8 pm
24 Jan - Colfer’s Pub, Carrig-On-Bannow
25 Jan - Whelan’s (Little Room), Dublin - 8 pm
26 Jan - Roisin Dubh, Galway - 8 pm %
27 Jan - White Horse, Ballincollig - 8 pm #
29 Jan - Whelan’s, Dublin - 8 pm %
30 Jan - McGrory’s, Culdaff - 8:30 pm
31 Jan - The Red Room, Cookstown
% supporting Jeffrey Martin # supporting Niamh Regan
SPRING GREEN ALBUM RELEASE TOUR
All shows currently on sale and more dates will be added!
Feb 27 - Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield ME (with Lori McKenna)
I’ll be playing a very special opening set at a benefit for Stone Mountain Arts Center the week before my album releases.
Mar 19 - Chatham Orpheum, Chatham MA ^
Mar 20 - The Spire, Plymouth MA ^
Mar 21 - Arrow Street Arts, Cambridge MA ^
Mar 26 - One Longfellow Square, Portland ME #
Mar 27 - Music Hall Lounge, Portsmouth NH #
Apr 16 - Stoltz Listening Room @ Avalon Theater, Easton MD %
Apr 17 - Concerts In The Studio, Freehold NJ ^
Apr 18 - Jalopy, Brooklyn NY ^
Apr 19 - The Kate, Old Saybrook CT ^
May 6 - The Ark, Ann Arbor MI %
May 8 - CSPS, Cedar Rapids %
^ full band # trio % duo
More dates to be announced!
MP3 of the MONTH
What better way to celebrate my Ireland tour with Dinty Child this month than by sharing an unrecorded song of ours that we regularly play in our shows together? This song is called “Available Light,” and it’s actually the second song I’ve written with that title. The first version I wrote back during lockdown in 2020, but never really felt compelled to share. When I suggested to Dinty that we repurpose the title and write a new song together, version 2.0 fairly wrote itself. We took a verse from my original version and used it as the bridge here. It’s available for the month of January at my Bandcamp page. Enjoy!
2nd SHIFT MUSIC SERIES SPRING SEASON
All shows for the Spring 2026 season of the 2nd Shift Music Series that I curate at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham MA are one sale! While I try to attend many of these concerts, these are not my shows. Rather, they are a chance for me to give back to my community, to help support and present artists that I love and believe in. You can trust me that any and all of these shows are well worth your while.
FRI Feb 27 - Winterpills
Thu Mar 12 - Ward Hayden & Greg Hall
Thu Mar 26 - Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light
Thu Apr 9 - Willy Porter
Thu Apr 30 - Laurie MacAllister
SIDEMAN SECTION
No sideman gigs this month, but you never do know where I’ll pop up next.
A WORD ABOUT PATREON - JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!
I love streaming music, and stream much of the music I listen to. But streaming does not translate into support, if we define “support” as “generating enough income to keep the lights on and fund the creation of more new music.” This is not your fault, we are all victims of tech companies’ unsustainable (except for them) model.
The best way to sustainably support my creative output is by getting a subscription to my Patreon. As you're thinking about what you want to support in the coming year, I'd be honored if you made my music one of those things. For as little as $5/month ($60/year), you can help me do things like release new songs, make new albums, and tour consistently. In return, you get early access to all new music, and starting in 2026, invites to quarterly virtual community events.
peace,
mark
Watch Mark’s performance from the 2019 Americanafest at the Ryman Auditorium!
You can check out a special episode of Austin City Limits featuring highlights from this year's Americanafest (like yours truly performing with Lori McKenna, Josh Ritter, J.S. Ondara & Shawn Colvin) on PBS starting this Saturday at 10 pm CT! Check out this teaser video & go to http://acltv.com/watch/tv-schedule/ & click on "check your local PBS listings" to find out exactly when it will air in your market.
