Mark Wright is a singer-songwriter from the United States, from the US north-west, and has been performing live for over 15 years. He performs in an acoustic singer-songwriter style, and his music is described as drawing on Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens. He has acted and sung on stage since the age of seven, and he begins writing songs after seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert for the first time.

Career

Wright performs extensively in the UK, mainland Europe and the United States, working with a range of promoters and building an international following for both his songs and his live performances. He releases his first self-funded album, Everything and a Day, in March 2003. The album includes a Springsteen cover, and he tours and promotes it with the help of Badlands, the Bruce Springsteen fan club for the United Kingdom.

That connection leads to his inclusion on Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen in the summer of 2003, alongside artists including Elvis Costello, Billy Bragg, Joe Ely and Nils Lofgren. His acoustic version of Springsteen’s “Two Hearts” receives wide praise and brings his music to a wider audience. The album sells tens of thousands of copies and raises more than $100,000 for the Light of Day organisation, which supports Parkinson’s and sarcoma research.

Recordings and collaborations

In April 2004, Wright records at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee with James Lott, the studio’s engineer, and his band. The resulting mini-album, Sun Studio - April 21st 2004, is released independently in autumn 2004. He later records One Way Ticket, his first album for Revolver Records, after the label’s A&R man Peter Black hears his work and offers him a worldwide deal in early 2006.

During this period, Ramblin' Jack Elliott invites Wright to join his 2005 UK and Ireland tour. Wright supports Elliott and also appears onstage with him each night for several songs, harmonising on Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie material. Wright has been influenced by Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen throughout his life.

Bruce Springsteen project

In 2008, after repeated requests from fans, Wright records Real World - The Bruce Springsteen Project, a collection of his favourite Springsteen songs. He chooses less obvious material rather than the best-known hits, and the release becomes popular with Springsteen fans worldwide. It is also featured on Backstreets.com, a Springsteen news site.

Current work

Wright lives in Hastings and continues to work on new material.