Last week a good friend of mine introduced me to a brand new artist whose voice will likely take the industry by storm. Mark Russell is a singer-songwriter at heart, but he can easily supplement his powerful voice with piano keys and guitar strings. Back in college his talent afforded him the opportunity to open for renowned acts like Avril Lavigne, One Republic, Hanson, and Robin Thicke. Since then Russell decided to enter the biz as a solo artist under Wright Entertainment Group management, and the musical content that has materialized thus far is simply superb.
Embedded above is Russell’s most recent music video. In it he performs “I Believe”, a song originally produced by alternative rock band Blessid Union of Souls in 1995. One day in the studio he teamed up with another client under his management company and started belting out his own version of the inspiring track. Russell shares, “In the spirit of sharing charity, I wanted to give away this song in hopes that those of you who have experienced tragedy this year might find some comfort in it, and perhaps the rest of us can be re-inspired to reach out and do something good.” Download “I Believe” for free here.
What makes Russell stand out is that he sings from the heart, and you can feel his emotions pour out of the lyrics (thanks to his strong voice) and the instruments he plays. He’s got a very rustic, fresh vibe to his look and sound; artists with qualities like these are always welcome to jumpstart an industry crammed with uniformity. Russell has the ingredients to become an immensely popular and successful pop-rock musician with his impressive vocal range. It only takes a few beats in his rendition of “I Believe” to hear it.
Be sure to check out his YouTube page if you like what you hear in this video. There you’ll find original content plus a notable acoustic cover of Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite”. Russell is currently bringing his act to locations around the country. Keep tabs on his official web site and Facebook page to follow his whereabouts and other updates. If you’re digging his talent as much as I am right now, spread the word and let’s get Mark Russell to start climbing the charts.
[Thanks for the tip, Matt]