The idea of Mark Fitzsummons becoming an Australian country music artist would not come as a surprise to those who know him. Born and raised in Tamworth, the home of Australian Country Music, laid the base of what would become a rich tapestry of Australian experiences.
From droving sheep from the hills of Tamworth, picking tobacco in the fields of Moore Creek, working the bars of country pubs, to joining the Australian armed forces or working with wayward teens, Mark had a depth of experiences to draw from as he developed the art of storytelling. Some would say that Mark always had the talent for a yarn; the only thing missing was the music.
While working within the confinement of the Juvenile Justice system, Mark developed the skills to interact and converse with the teenage boys held in the centre. One of ways to break down the barriers between staff and detainees was music. During his time in the centres, Mark began to learn the guitar and participate in sing-along’s with some of the many talented teenagers, while passing on these basic skills to other boys to provide them with an outlet for their frustrations.
A serious injury in 2006 became the catalyst to merge his worlds together and would see Mark create a portfolio of songs that would ultimately culminate in his debut album BITTER SWEET (released 2013).
After connecting with Caravan Records (Central Coast NSW) to release an EP (Still Hope) in 2009 and a single (Strong Hands) in 2011, Mark’s skills as a song writer began to gather attention both nationally and internationally, receiving awards and acknowledgement from his peers in the Country Music industry. Mark entered the studio at Little Red Wagon Studio (Springwood NSW) with material that show case both personal and life experiences that Mark observed over his seven years of song writing.
Mark Fitzsummons has developed a dedicated following of fans through intimate performances at a number of Australian Coast Country Music festival, as well as shows around the Central Coast (NSW). Mark’s songs have received strong air play through country music stations across Australia, where he hopes to build on this momentum and break in to the market that is now Australian Country Music.
Bittersweet
As an artist, Mark Fitzsummons recognised that not all stories had a happy ending nor were all dark tales completely tragic. It was with this understanding that Mark developed the concept for the album BITTER SWEET. The album would attempt to create a life. One not content to survive in a safe haven of grey but filled with darkness and light, happiness and tears. With Production support from Brad Bergen and the talents of some of Australia’s most respected musicians, Mark Fitzsummons has developed a kaleidoscope of emotions that should touch the heart of any country music fan.
Mark explained that he sought the assistance of Ric Sugitha to visualise the concept that is BITTER SWEET. From the seeds of their discussion came the understanding of an album of *pleasure alloyed with pain/ pleasant but including or marked by elements of suffering or regret.
Ric Sugitha created the simple yet thought provoking art work for BITTER SWEET, that is of a flower representative of everything "sweet", beautiful/positive and good in life while the black running liquid represents the "bitter", negative, pain and its "marked" effect on the "elements" (the cracking of the petals). Both artists liked the fact that the negative is from within the flower as the image could also be looked as life as a whole and while most people have an overall positive life, if you delved into their lives you would find that even if small, most people are marked with past pain and suffering. The word sweet is upside down to reflect how opposite and unnatural it feels that sweet things can come out of bitter times.
Bitter life is the Title Track from BITTER SWEET. [video]http://youtu.be/AWVAQpjAfxA[/video]
Track listing:
- bitter life
- cardboard sign
- maybe tonight
- mr taliman’s bananas
- i knew love
- carry me home
- a man like that
- crying
- and they danced
- nation’s child
- sealed with a tear
- going to get by.
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