Backyard Session: Mark Dignam, Cloudbelly, and Karl Mullen

1401 Green River Road,Williamstown MA 01267

11 September, 2022

Description

Born in Dublin, and raised in Finglas, a working-class suburb known for its rough and tumble character, Mark Dignam is the real deal. His mother Maureen sang incessantly around the house, and his neighborhood was soaked in music; traditional, Irish pop, rock, punk, ska, and reggae. In the late '80s, Mark and his friend Glen Hansard began busking on Grafton Street, meeting up with Mic Christopher, Kila, Miriam Ingram, and Leslie Keye, eventually establishing a raucus group of street performers who garnered a staunchly loyal following, including members of The Waterboys, Van Morrison, and Sinead O’Connor. The police were also frequent visitors. Following a trip to America in 1991, Mark began honing his highly lyrical folk-rock sound. In 1995, he released 'Poetry and Songs From the Wheel' named a Top 10 debut album of the year. He spent years touring in Europe and the U.S., opening for Glen Hansard, The Swell Season, David Gray, Billy Bragg, Joan Armatrading, Richard Thompson, and Richie Havens. Mark's new single ‘Angels of Mercy’ just dropped Sept. 3. 50% of its proceeds will be donated to a global charity for nurses, to honor the loving care shown towards his mother in her dying days. Listen here Karl Mullen, just back from Barcelona where he was recording new songs for a soon-to-be-released album on Get Hip Records, will play an opening set. Listen here Cloudbelly, one of the newest members of the Signature Sounds family, will kick things off. Their poetic lyricism, stirring vocals, and disarming stage presence makes for "a moving display of fragility and surrender. Cloudbelly’s debut single 'Up in Smoke' weaves wondrous and haunting indie folk into a seismic outpouring of intimate emotion." Atwood Magazine named them one of its 2022 artists to watch. Listen here