Mark Utley

Mark Utley is an Indiana-born singer/songwriter who has called Cincinnati, Ohio home for the last 28 years. He is the driving force behind the seminal 80's alt-rock/goth band [a1991236], 90's dream-pop band Pale Halo, the acclaimed roots-rock/Americana band Magnolia Mountain, the honky-tonk Country outfit Bulletville, and the two Music for the Mountains fundraising concerts and compilation albums ([r15582663] and [r15586277]).

A prolific songwriter, arranger, and interpreter of songs, Mark has written, recorded, and released six albums and almost 100 songs in the past five years. In addition, his song "There is Enough" was recorded and released on [m1576558], he co-wrote the song "Pleasure" with acclaimed pianist Ricky Nye for Nye's 2014 album Swingin' Some Blues, and he contributed the musical bridge to "Killin' the Flower" and many of the bass parts for [r15685301].

Mark is a three-time nominee for CityBeat Magazine's annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards (CEA's) in the Songwriter category. He released his debut solo album, Four Chords and a Lie, in July 2013, and the follow-up, Bulletville, in 2015.

In addition to performing locally and regionally with Magnolia Mountain and Bulletville, Mark also plays out with stripped-down Trio and Quartet versions of MM, as a duo with bandmate Jeff Vanover, and as a solo act (including solo performances at the 2013 Bunbury Music Festival, the 2013 CEA award ceremonies, and solo shows with acclaimed fellow songwriters John Moreland, Chuck Cleaver of Wussy, Jeremy Pinnell, Arlo McKinley & the Lonesome Sound, Kenny Roby of 6 String Drag, and Joey Kneiser & Kelly Smith of Glossary). He has also performed and recorded as the bass player for Jasmine Poole's band Wonky Tonk, Shiny And The Spoon, and folk singer Janet Pressley.

"Like a sculptor who has immense respect for the permanence of the stone but also implicitly trusts his chisel and creative vision, Mark Utley shapes the raw material of Americana’s various stylistic permutations into songs that are comfortably familiar yet blazingly original." - Brian Baker (CityBeat)

"Mark Utley is as honest a songwriter as there is these days." - Geoff Tate (Northsider Monthly)