SongVault Artist Profile

Here's my story. I started writing songs when I was in college. I was a kid then, and did things for the sake of doing them - everything was an open door. Almost all of the songs I wrote then reflect that.

I graduated and stumbled around the country, living in some pretty interesting areas including hermit-like in the forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains and grizzly-like in the rough hills of Jackson, Wyoming. The songs I wrote during that time differed from the songs I wrote in college in the sense that I was no longer a meek adolescent but part of "the world" - reality had changed from a sweet-sounding violin to, at times, a screaming siren (in my ear). The songs I wrote during that time illustrate my change.

After my time in Jackson, I got serious and decided not to let life be something that was "beyond" me but stand up and try to live in a way that reflected what I thought to be true. I've recently started writing songs in the sense that they're not songs I need to write but songs I choose to write.

Poppy Fields and Pearls denotes a good place; a safehaven amongst troubled seas. Like Dead Reckoning, the songs are a collection taken from the ones I wrote while movin’ round the U.S. and ones taken while idle in L.A. Poppy Fields and Pearls varies in tone and theme from the rambunctious, to the melancholic, from the angst-ridden, to the hopeful. The album has many faces, and I hope that those who listen will be able to relate to at least some of them. Thanks for your ears.

Mark Gothard