Hailing from the rust belt town of Weirton, WV, fans of Mark Rice describe his music as intimate, folk rock in the vein of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springstein(Nebraska, Devils and Dust), and Coldplay. One fan described it as "...sort of small town, intimate folk rock based on realism rather than cliche..." The lyrical rawness of his songs comes from his desire to plumb the depth of his own depravity while surrendering that desire to the ravishing pursuit of redemption.
There is much to be said in the music and in the hands of Dave Young of Widget Studios, much progress was made to developing a fuller more distinct sound, which is evident on Mark's latest demo release. Songs like "Ride All Night" and "Shannon's Song" were given more drive while not deviating from Mark's trademark intimacy. The backing band, consisting of Dave Young(guitar, bass, backing bocal) and Verien Brotzman(percussion), levied a much stronger sonic attack to Mark's music, though not pulling it from it's folk, singer-songwriter roots. Other tracks maintain the natural stripped down vocal and guitar feel, to provide a more rustic sound.
Whether playing coffee shops or sharing the stage at larger venues, Mark sees the overall goal to be intimacy and connectedness between artist and audience. Coffee shops from Fairmont, WV to Pittsburgh, PA, Nashville to Philadelphia have gotten to experience Mark's trademark music on a personal level and continue to seek him out time and again.
With his latest demo release, Mark hopes to gain some experience and develop as an artist while continuing to perform locally and abroad. Letting his light shine brighter every day against the melees of voices seeking to be heard, is his goal, in just a few words.