Introducing Mark Ward (Northwest Folklife Festival)

One of the Sunday performers at Café Impromptu, a Northwest Folklife Festival venue in McCaw Hall, was a young man named Mark Ward. He's from Spokane, Washington and describes his music as folk rock, acoustic guitar, and indie sounds. For you oldies but goodies, he says he sounds like Neil Young. He was selling CD's with four cuts: Fighting with Lightning; Little Lights; You Are Light; and Meant the Most. I brought one home -- you can purchase from his website (click on his name to go to his myspace page).


I hope Mark doesn't mind me cribbing some of the accolades on his website, but these comments aptly honor Mark's music.

"When you're one person with a guitar, you better have something compelling to separate yourself from all your like-minded compatriots. Ward definitely does-a magnetic, spine-tinglingly beautiful voice." -Jeff Echert, The Inlander (Oct 20, 2008)

" The incandescent crackle of a young songwriter taking the lens of his musical idols and turning it upon himself, finding something sad, hopeful and unique. " - Luke Baumgarten, The Inlander (Oct 18, 2007)

"A finalist in the Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival's national songwriting competition earlier this year, Mark Ward is a hard-working (usually solo) performer who frequently surprises audiences by looping melodica lines while playing guitar and kick drum. " - Joel Smith, The Inlander (Jul 17, 2008)

I found a You-Tube video of him singing "Little Lights."

Enjoy!