Country roots, rock and roll heart, and spellbinding songcraft: Recording and performing artist Mark Mackay has left his boot prints on stages like Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium to Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre. As a headliner, a festival act, or highlighting bills across the country with an array of performers — including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, John Rich, and Eli Young Band, plus rockers like REO Speedwagon and 38 Special — Mark Mackay captivates audiences with fretboard mastery and memorable hooks.

“Summer Slowdown,” the first single in a series of forthcoming releases, evokes carnival midway magic as the temperature rises on a hot July night of romantic possibility. Penned by Jeffrey Steele, Neil Thrasher and Wendell Lee Mobley, the song is a prelude to a season of renewal, signaling a welcome return to touring, as Mark Mackay hits the road from his home base in Nashville. “‘Summer Slowdown’ is everything I love about a great song,” says Mark. “It has great energy, big guitars and I love songs about that hopeless love feeling... the person heading off after a great summer together. When I first heard it, I could visualize what it looked like in an area coming to life, live on stage.”

Mark says that the cancellation of his arduous touring schedule — over 150 national dates annually — allowed for a deeper exploration of his craft and new ways to communicate. “When the pandemic started, I didn’t know how to use a single recording program,” he explains. “But I ran to the music store, bought an interface and a MIDI keyboard, and learned how to mic guitars, do demos, create Livestream performances, and connect with people one on one.”

Mark has also teamed up with a formidable co-writer and co-producer, Jeffrey Steele, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee with GRAMMY nominations and multiple BMI and NSAI Songwriter of the Year honors. The duo is also mining Steele’s deep catalog, which includes hits for Rascal Flatts, Montgomery Gentry, Faith Hill, and Aaron Lewis, recasting gems for Mark to record.

Debuting with his full length Trials & Tribulations, Mark introduced his vital blend of country and west coast rock. EP’s Long Wild Road and Leaving California — augmented by regular single releases — established his guitar-driven signature of hard-hitting choruses with soulful echoes of Bakersfield and Laurel Canyon.

A California native raised on classic country and trained as a classical pianist, Mark studied blues and rock guitar at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. He recalls his first visit to Music City: “An artist needed me to play guitar with her at the last minute and asked, ‘Can you fly to Nashville tomorrow?’ I got out of a cab after midnight near lower Broadway and thought, ‘I have to live here.’ What drew me was the vibe of creativity, and music everywhere.” Not long after that, in 2018, Mark moved to Nashville, as he simultaneously played the mother church — Ryman Auditorium. Four years later, including a pandemic that seemingly hit the pause button on touring life, he’s perpetually stabilized by his unparalleled drive. “Music is one of the only things I’ve ever done that no matter how hard you get hit, you just get back up and continue,” says Mark. “I got into it knowing that if it was easy, everyone would do it. So I just refuse to stop fighting.”

Mark performs solo on guitar and piano for television and radio appearances, and songwriter nights. But he loves to stretch out musically with a blazing electric guitar, fronting his band of top-notch Tennessee musicians. As a headliner, he has built his audience from the ground up, with repeated visits to markets where he has become a favorite. “Big shows, small shows, and all shows in between,” he says. “When I started out, I thought all the cool shows would be in Hollywood, New York, and Miami. They’re not – they’re in Minot, North Dakota; Billings, Montana... or Huber Heights, Ohio.”

Interacting with audiences is essential for Mackay. “I meet so many people who tell me, ‘I was in a band when I was younger, and the biggest regret I have in my life is that I gave it up. Don’t ever quit.’” It is a creed that Mark Mackay takes to heart. “It’s a reminder that no matter what happens, you’ve got to keep going.”