My old friend Mark W. Georgsson pinged me an email recently with a link to a new single he was releasing. I hadn't seen Mark in ages, possibly since pre-lockdown! We used to bump into each other at gigs all the time. Thankfully we caught up at Norman Blake's Bellshill gig last week over a few beers.
Mark and I first met back in 2012 when he was in a cracking punk indie pop band called The Velveteen Saints. Here is a BLOG I wrote on them back then. They were a captivating live band, super energetic, excellent musicians and they had something about them; soul, a rawness and a no bullshit attitude.
They did pretty well and got some excellent support slots with The Charlatans and The View. As young bands do, they broke up and went their own ways. Although Mark, Michael and Tino were all in The Bar Dogs who released a brilliant album called Friday Night The Eagles Fly in 2017. I described them as the best bar band in Glasgow; blue collar Springsteen rock n roll.
Before then, in late 2015 Mark had sent me a solo album he recorded with Rod Jones from Idlewild on production duties. I was blown away by how warm, tender and organic it was. Then, in early 2016, I got together with a group of friends to form a record label - Last Night From Glasgow. I suggested Mark's album for release, indeed his double a-side single The Ballad Of The Nearly Man became the first release on the label, with the AA-side being the same song sung in Icelandic by Mark's friends. It was a real statement of intent for the label to release something of such high quality for a first release. I remember getting the test pressing back and sitting up drinking most of a nice bottle of red wine playing it over and over again.
I'm just listening back to Mark's Faces and Places album, it is an absolute gem and his live shows around that time were such great fun.
On to February 2025 and Mark has released a rip roaring single called Tripping With You. This is Mark's first single since he began treatment for an immune system related skin condition that had prevented him from playing guitar. For anyone that knows Mark, or anyone with a remote interest in playing a musical instrument, you'll know, or imagine how incredibly tough and depressing this was.
Now on medication and healing, Mark is back ... and boy can he play guitar!
The joy of being able to play again comes pouring out of Tripping With You. Mark's fingers are definitely working again! This a glorious slice of psychedelic pop with nods to Deep Purple's Hush.
I caught up with Mark for a quick chat.
Who plays guitar on Tripping With You?
It's me playing all of the guitars now that I've got my fingers back! Michael Gahagan plays drums, congas and tambourine. Robbie Noble plays the Hammond Organ and Jordan McHatton is playing groovy bass.
You've definitely got your fingers back working!
It was a release, channeling my inner 17-year old again! The next batch of songs will be similar. Short, with fuzz pedals, wah wah's, 60's phasers and shredding to f**k!
So what happened, why couldn't you play guitar?
Since 2020 my immune system has gone haywire and effected the skin all over my body, especially on my fingertips, stopping me playing the guitar. At the start of this year, I was put onto an immunosuppressant medication to finally try and sort it out. I started jamming out short ideas and riffs because my fingertips couldn't handle playing for long without bleeding and being in agony.
It's got a real Deep Purple vibe to it.
Aye, Kula Shaker are my favourite band after The Beatles. Songs don't need to be any longer than 3-minutes. I'm a huge Hendrix, Cream, Deep Purple, Skynyrd, Zeppelin and Rory Gallagher fan.
I've realised how much we take simple day-to-day things in life and our health for granted. We worry about shit that doesn't really matter instead of focusing on what does, and doing what we really want to do in life to make ourselves happy.
It's been great to get back to jammin' in the studio with my mates. I had so much fun writing and recording this song and I think that comes across in the track.
Are you hoping to play live?
Absolutely. I'm working on putting together a gig / set list that will go and flow through all of my songs from folk/country/Americana to psychedelic pop rock!
Tripping With You is out now on all the usual digital channels. Hopefully Mark will announce a show in the near future to showcase his guitar skills in person!
