World On Fire, the new single from Mark Shepherd, is a loud call to arms, a lamentation and a wry comment on a world, literally, on fire. With national politics, international relations and the climate emergency in total chaos, Mark's warm baritone soothes, warns and offers at least a bit of hope. Mark Shepherd is a singer-songwriter from Cambridge with a strong, distinctive baritone and a dark brand of folky, thought provoking acoustic rock/Americana that explores the stygian side of life with a rough warmth sure to stay with you long after you finish listening.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Mark Shepherd. What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
Well, I can play the guitar, sing and I can also write songs that I work pretty hard at. I only hope that the combination makes something worth listening to. I know that music is very subjective and not everyone will like my stuff, but I’m glad that some people really do.
Who inspired you to make music?
A few friends at school and my art teacher, who played blues guitar and some more avant-garde stuff. He taught me and my friends to play guitar at lunchtimes. After I could play a bit, I got into Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Zeppelin and that kind of thing – because I wanted to learn how to play. At the same time, I would listen to Siouxsie and the Banshees, Iggy Pop, Devo, reggae and a whole load of other stuff.
But for me, it’s not just about being able to play a tune. There’s something more important about creating something new, which drives me to write my own music.
Your latest track is 'World On Fire'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
It is obvious that humans can’t use up the earth’s resources forever. They will run out eventually. What we didn’t realise until a few years ago was that the earth was warming up so quickly – and what that could mean to everyone and everything we know.
I still don’t think people understand how bad it could be - it’s deadly, deadly serious and I only hope it’s not way too late already. If the climate keeps going the way it's going, nothing else will matter. It's an unpopular and grim message.
There was an unusual thing that happened in the background to this song. It was that a little girl, in Sweden, stopped going to school on Fridays. That changed a lot for everyone.
What is your creative process like?
I don’t have a fixed process. New songs emerge from time to time without warning. Sometimes I’ll come up with a guitar part which suggests some lyrics and it evolves from there. Occasionally, I’ll have the lyrics first and search for the right idea for the music to fit. Whichever way, my songs usuall evolve quite a bit before I think they are ready to record. I try to get as far along as I can and record a demo before going into the studio. Then we might add in other instruments, change the arrangement and so on. What we end up with is sometimes quite different to the demo.
What is the biggest decision you’ve had to make?
Lots of big decisions in a lifetime – getting married, having kids, moving house, changing job, whether to get a Costa, Starbucks or Café Nero? it goes on…
What makes you different from others?
I try to write thought provoking lyrics and, so far, I haven’t written anything that you would describe as a love song. So, I guess that makes me a little bit different to a lot of singer-songwriters.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Thank you very much for listening and please spread the word!
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
I suppose the biggest change is the move from buying music in a physical form, such as CD or Vinyl, to downloading it. Now, there are hundreds of new releases every day, because the internet has made it easier to get recorded music released to the world. Anyone can do it. The trouble is that getting it noticed is probably more difficult than it ever was.
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Quite often, it will be the Wordle – it’s good mental exercise and helps to wake me up.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to write more songs, play more gigs. For as long as I am doing something that people like, I’ll keep doing it - why not?