Mark Daly
“Daly’s 35-minute performance highlighted his wide vocal range and guitar talent (he grabbed his acoustic for a handful of songs), delivering an in-your-face rock-and-roll tone that captured the attention of the early attendees. Having never been exposed to Daly before, my initial reaction was that he was like an Irish Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) if there can be such a thing.” -Elliot Gordon, All Music Magazine (review from the Avondale Estates Atlanta, Georgia show 1/8/23)
"Rock At Night discovered Mark Daly and the Ravens while reviewing Geoff Tate’s concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida in January.We loved the band’s heavy classic rock sound, reminiscent of Aerosmith or even Alice Cooper. -Chyrisse Tabone Rock at Night
“’ In Nothing to Lose,’ as our introduction single to the band, we were very well received by a great song that manages to transport the listener to that hard rock atmosphere, but in a very original way that doesn’t sound like any big band of the genre, something that I find amazing, to be able to create within the style and still maintain its uniqueness! Check it out; it’s worth the play.” -Andre Alonso, Metal Junkbox
Mark Daly Bio:
Cork-based Irish Rock musician Mark Daly's artistic chops have never been up for debate. After building an impressive following touring with the likes of Candlebox, Geoff Tate (Queensryche), and more, Mark Daly is gearing up for a busy 2023 tour opening for Geoff Tate in Europe and is releasing a new video “Nothing to Lose” on March 18 2023. The song is off of Mark’s four-song EP Nothing to Lose released in 2022. Mark will be releasing his EP, Peace in the Panic; in the Fall of 2023, with tour dates across the US and Europe lined up throughout the year. Mark describes his sound as raw, energetic rock music that has influences from classic rock bands but also appreciates a modern rock sound with a blend of both. “These songs inspired me to write from the heart and not be afraid to be 100% honest in my lyrics. I write about family, love, struggles, and pain. This new record feels like the album I have wanted to write my entire life, and I could not be more excited."
In the summer of 2021, Mark teamed up with Avantasia guitarist and world-renowned producer Sascha Paeth (Kamelot, Rhapsody of Fire, Angra, and more) to begin work on a new hard rock album, Peace in the Panic. Mark's friend, Clodagh Kearney, provided backing vocals on 'Nothing to Lose' and 'Bottled Up.' "Sascha produced and co-wrote the entire album with me. I sent him some acoustic demos during the pandemic of the songs I had written at home, and he loved them, so I flew to Germany and recorded in his home studio, Pathway Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Mark's music career has been as varied as it has been exhilarating. He performed at the MTV EMA Awards in Belfast with his previous band, The Voodoos, after beating over 10,000 other unsigned bands from around Europe to the slot. He hit #1 on the Scottish New Music Charts with his Autism Awareness Charity solo single 'Your World,' inspired by his son, Noah. Adding to the list is his songwriting work with Geoff Tate-led supergroup, Operation: Mindcrime. He recently performed on the Monsters of Rock Cruise 2022 alongside Alice Cooper, Buckcherry, and more. He began with 2016's 'The Heart's Reminder' (no. 2 on the Irish Downloads Chart) right up to his debut album When the Stars Align. The thread running through Mark's music is an eagerness to connect and intelligence for doing that. His songs are potent markers of his experiences, ranging from intimate narratives of family and heartbreak to commentaries on broader issues. His depth as a musician comes with an ability to combine an arresting rock voice with social awareness.
At 19, Mark started The Kites, playing bass and backing vocals. At 20, he started The Voodoos, based in Alicante, Spain, where Mark moved to when he was 15. They were the first band in the area to play original music at shows. They were seen by Brian Message (Radiohead, Nick Cave) and invited to London to record an EP with him. After the recording, they relocated to Ireland, began playing all over the country, and built a solid fan base. “After my time in The Voodoos, I went solo and released an album called When the Stars Align with producer Kelly Gray. We took a new musical approach, and the album became an acoustic-sounding album. I missed Rock n’ Roll and decided to write this new album as a Hard Rock album but keep it under the name of ‘Mark Daly’ despite the fact we are a five-piece band when performing live.” Mark Daly & The Ravens, the band that plays with him live, include Mark Daly (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), James Brown (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jack Ross (bass guitar), Alex Hart (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Daniel Laverde (drums).
Mark’s inspiration came from Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, and his lyrics encouraged Mark to start writing his lyrics down in a journal. Mark’s influences include Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) as a lyricist, Steven Tyler, and Blue October. He grew up obsessing over The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and, more recently, bands like Highly Suspect, Biffy Clyro, Dirty Honey, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, and his favorite singer Chris Cornell. “My mom was a Garth Brooks fan, and my first album was Garth Brooks on tape. My dad listened to Pink Floyd, E.L.O., and Led Zeppelin, so that is where I found my love for amazing Rock music.”
“I used to concentrate on trying to ‘make it and spent too much energy worrying about what people would think of me and my music. This record has been about being authentic, writing from the heart, and making music I love without worrying about how it will be perceived.” My favourite quote for facing anything positive or negative is, ‘It’ll be grand.’”
Links for Mark Daly:
Website: https://markdalyofficial.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markdalymusic
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MarkDalyMusic
