Local singer chosen for Nashville show

Mark, along with three others singers from Northern Ireland, will first perform in concert at the Holiday Inn Belfast as part of the Eleventh United Airlines Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival on Wednesday March 4.

Then on March 13 they travel to the US to take part in four live showcase events including a showcase show at the famous Bluebird Café.

The trip will also involve valuable music industry meetings with publishers, managers, venue owners and other industry professionals

Panarts, along with support from The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and United Airlines, will provide flights and accommodation to each person.

Mark is a regular at the Belfast/Nashville Festival and has a string of songwriting credits to his name. Last summer the song ‘Who do you love’ which he wrote with Frances Mitchell, was recorded and released by Dublin singer Ryan O’Shaughnessy.

The song went to a number three Irish chart position that year.

In recent years he has made several trips to the States to collaborate with music publishers and writers.

Indeed last year, with the help of the Arts Council NI, he was in Nashville, where he enjoyed several co-writing collaborations including Grammy nominated Kim Richey.

This adds to 2013’s songwriting trip to the states where his co-writing credits include Monty Holmes (who had huge hits with George Strait and Lee Ann Wommack), Kobalt, Horipro, Roundhill and carnival music.

Mark is an equally impressive performer and his powerful, distinctive voice continues to attract a growing following. His released EPs can all be heard on his website. You can listen to Mark’s musicon www.markgrahammusic.co.uk.