By Andre Mayer
The only way to get things done is to run your own show.
That seems to be the philosophy of 18-year-old Mark Jackson, an up-and-coming singer/songwriter from Pickering. His stage name is C’lan (cuh-lan), and he has just released a cassette single, “Stranger.” Mark not only wrote both songs on the single—the B-side is “Life Blood”—but recorded them in his basement playing every instrument. Predominantly a bass player, he also played guitar, drums and keyboards, instruments he says he “just picked up along the way.” Mark is “self-taught”—he hasn’t even had a minute of formal lessons. On stage, he performs alone, playing guitar and singing with pre-recorded keyboard accompaniment.
Mark has been arduously promoting his cassette at local radio stations, and has played several gigs—at Ryerson’s The Edge on January 25, opening for Frust, and in U of T’s battle of the bands at Lee’s Palace last Wednesday.
The stage name C’lan is a northern Scottish word meaning ‘cold,’ but Mark explains that it makes no statement about his music or personality. “I’m (just) interested in the sounds of words,” he says. “I also thought it would be neat to rename myself.”
Mark was in a band for three years, but it dissolved. He enjoys being in control of all aspects of the songwriting process, but says that if he found people who shared his musical vision, he would gladly form a band again.
Mark sees John Lennon as his greatest influence. “[His music] is direct and honest…he was writing because he had something to say.” He also admires the recording technique of Lenny Kravitz. The songs on Mark’s tape have an engaging classic-rock feel, like Kravitz’s, and showcase some very mature songwriting and insightful lyrics.
As for the release of his two-song cassette, Mark explains it as a simple marketing ploy.
“A CD costs $15 to $16, which is a lot. People won’t spend that on an artist they don’t know. But people will pay three dollars for a single.” He actually has an album’s worth of songs, but decided that the two singles were the best of the batch. “It’s just to get the public aware.”
Mark doesn’t go to school anymore, and devotes all his time to either writing songs or managing his production company, Artists and Poets Production Ltd, a business he founded to “avoid the pressure of having people telling [me] what to do.” Running the enterprise gives him the freedom to record his music at his own pace, and it allows him to fully promote his musical career.
Leave a Reply