by elizabeth | October 18th, 2011
I first heard Mark Erelli at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, a few blocks from where I was in college at Harvard University. He and Jonathan Kingham (also awesome, check him out!) were part of an “in-the-round” songwriter session at their Memorial Day campfire festival, and my jaw dropped when Mark opened his mouth. I’ve been a big fan since then, and always hoped that I’d have a project I could add him into.
Happily, he was free to record some guitar, mandolin, and backing vocals for “Brainchildren”! I traveled to Boston and we recorded at Zachariah Hickman’s Ceramic Lady Studio. (More on Zack later, but he and Mark know each other from playing with Josh Ritter!)
Listen to his mandolin playing and background vocals on the song “On the Ferris Wheel.”
Then go and listen to his music. Some recommended tracks: “Compass & Companion” from 2001’s Compass & Companion; “Call You Home” from 2002’s The Memorial Hall Recordings; “Baltimore,” “Not Alone” and “Once” from 2008’s Delivered. And if you get on his mailing list you’ll get a free MP3 every month!
P.S. Like me, Mark studied science before turning to music full-time!
