Mark Lotterman

Mark Lotterman is a singer-songwriter from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He is known for storytelling lyrics and for live performances described through expression and authenticity. His music is often compared with Nick Cave, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits, and his work includes elements of blues and funk as well as more acoustic singer-songwriter material.

Early releases

His debut album, Pain & Entertainment, appears in 2007. The record includes a wide range of styles, from slow guitar ballads to a 12-minute drum and bass duet with Johnny Dowd.

His second album, Better Things to Do, follows in 2009 and gains critical attention. It is released on the Rotterdam label Tocado Records, alongside artists such as Harry Merry, Rats on Rafts and Ella Bandita. The album receives strong reviews in the Netherlands and Germany.

Touring and recording

Lotterman tours Germany with Canadian songwriter Wax Mannequin, supports Dutch group De Dijk several times, and plays many shows in the Netherlands. In 2011, he and his band record Funny at Sound Enterprise studio in Muiden with producer Frans Hagenaars. The album is released in 2012 and includes the song “I Miss You”, which reaches the top ten of the iTunes top 100. The accompanying tour runs for more than 130 shows over 14 months and includes dates in Canada, Germany, the UK and Luxembourg.

Later albums and projects

At the end of 2013, he signs to Harlem Recordings for the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, and to Artfull Sounds for Germany. His fourth album, Year Without Summer, is released in 2014. It is recorded at his home with Frank Jonas and centres on his voice and acoustic guitar, giving it a raw and direct sound. Songs associated with the album include “Indie”, “Year Without Summer”, “Leaving for School” and “The Hell That We Create”.

His fifth album, Holland, is released during the first half of 2016 and is tied to an arts project of the same name. For the project, he asks more than 100 people and organisations to contribute work based on one of the album’s nine songs. The resulting collection of art, science and social projects appears on albumholland.com.