Mark MacDonald is an alumni of the University of Ottawa and an upcoming musical act that you should definitely give a listen to. We at Her Campus uOttawa were lucky enough to sit down with him and talk about his music, inspirations and much more. You can also check out his website www.markmacdonaldmusic.com or Mark MacDonald Music on Facebook.
Her Campus uOttawa: So Mark, tell us about yourself.
Mark MacDonald: At the moment I work as a recording engineer at Grant Avenue Studio in Hamilton. It is the oldest recording studio in Canada which has given me some really cool opportunities. I moved around a lot so any time I come to Ottawa it feels like a homecoming for me. I was an English major at the University of Ottawa, which I find personally helps me a lot when I’m writing lyrics for my songs.
HCuO: What got you interested in music and performing?
MM: When I was young, I wasn’t interested in sports. Music was my outlet and my version of therapy. It has helped me figure out a lot of my feelings, which has shaped the music I create. It tends to be quite personal.
HCuO: Who are your musical inspirations/role models?
MM: Blink 182 is my favourite band. I learned to play guitar to a lot of their albums. I’m also a big fan of John Mayer. His guitar work is incredibly intricate. I think that being exposed to a lot of different styles of music has helped my love of music and my career.
HCuO: Tell us about your new EP coming out.
MM: I’m hoping it will come out in early 2017. It will probably be three or four full band songs. It started off as a small project that you could find online to listen to my music, but now it has definitely grown into a bigger production. The theme is still up in the air, but it will probably have a punk rock vibe. I’ve written all of the lyrics and music myself.
HCuO: What is your favourite thing about doing shows?
MM: Performing is always exciting. I’ve found a lot of musicians are introverted so getting up on stage might seem counterintuitive, but it’s such a cool experience. I love when someone comes up to you to say how much they liked my music. It’s a big compliment because the stuff I play is more personal.
HCuO: What is your favourite song?
MM: There are so many great songs! I would probably say “The Freshman” by The Verve Pipe. It was the first song I ever played in public so it has sentimental value.
HCuO: Anything else the Her Campus readers should know?
MM: On October 7th I’m going to be playing at Cafe Nostalgica at 9:00pm. It’s going to be a launch party of sorts. There will be no cover and it’s for all ages so come out and bring your friends! Andrew Parton is going to be opening and he’s another great local talent. It would be great to have lots of people come out. Here’s the link for the event.
Thanks for chatting with us Mark! Best of luck with your new EP. See you on October 7th!
Sources: Cover photo and photo 3 (Sergio P), photos 1 and 2 (Nix Paul)
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