Monthly Newsletter Digest
MARCH 2026 NEWSLETTER
THE RADICAL EMPATHY OF SPRING GREEN
My fourteenth album, Spring Green, is out today on Bandcamp! I hope you’ll go listen. (Waiting for it to be on other streaming platforms? That’ll be April 3). The title track and the album as a whole explore what a Buddhist might call “beginner’s mind.” How do we stay as tender as that first fragile green shoot when our openness leaves us vulnerable to the world’s sorrows alongside its joys? How do we live with all we allow ourselves to feel? At this fraught moment, Spring Green is my clearest expression of the radical empathy I’ve long tried to celebrate in my songs.
Though hot takes dominate our social media feeds and long drives, I’ve grown numb to them—whether they arrive as sharp song fragments, social media posts, or extended podcasts. I’m weary of constant reminders of the world’s brokenness. Even someone slowly losing their sight can see with his own eyes the daily injustices around us. I don’t want to spiritually ingest someone else’s white-hot anger, refreshed by the minute. I don’t want songs that name-check presidents or members of their administrations. I don’t want jokes or memes that punch down.
What feels most essential and useful to me is empathy: a deeply felt connection to the joys and struggles of others. Artists still turn to CSN&Y’s “Ohio” in times of unrest, even though Nixon is no longer coming with his tin soldiers. The line that gives that song its lasting power is, “What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground / how can you run when you know?” Beyond the force of a question (rather than a declaration), it asks us to imagine ourselves in someone else’s place and envision our response. Empathy fuels a call to action: once we truly see injustice, how can we turn away?
Spring Green may not be labeled a “political album,” but the love, compassion, and sense of community that shaped its writing and recording feel radical to me. I’ve held this record close for a year. Now it’s yours. I hope these songs help you feel more deeply, think more clearly, and embrace your life more fully. I can’t wait for you to hear them—to hear yourself in them—and to gather in rooms where we can experience them together, however we need them most.
BUY the new record directly from Mark!
SPRING GREEN ALBUM RELEASE TOUR
Whether I’m traveling with a full band, or as a trio or duo, playing live for you is one of my greatest joys, and I hope to see you at a show in your neighborhood. If you have people in the towns I’ll be playing in, please send them our way. I am deeply grateful for your vote of confidence and word-of-mouth promotion.
And for fans near Boston - You can use the code MEMBER7 on the ticket page to unlock a $7 discounted ticket tier before selecting seats. Once entered, the lower ticket price will appear when you choose your seats. This show is in Harvard Square, presented by Club Passim, but in a wonderful new theater right around the corner. I am so excited to bring my full band there for this show!
Sun Mar 15 - City Winery (Lounge), Nashville TN #
Thu Mar 19 - Chatham Orpheum, Chatham MA ^
Fri Mar 20 - The Spire, Plymouth MA ^
Sat Mar 21 - Arrow Street Arts, Cambridge MA ^ Presented by Passim
Thu Mar 26 - One Longfellow Square, Portland ME # co-bill w/Robbie Fulks
Fri Mar 27 - Music Hall Lounge, Portsmouth NH #
Sat Mar 28 - Back Porch Festival, Northampton MA ^
Thu Apr 16 - Stoltz Listening Room @ Avalon Theater, Easton MD %
Fri Apr 17 - Concerts In The Studio, Freehold NJ ^ (SOLD OUT!)
Sat Apr 18 - Jalopy, Brooklyn NY ^
Sun Apr 19 - The Kate, Old Saybrook CT ^
Wed May 6 - The Ark, Ann Arbor MI %
Thu May 7 - Cafe Carpe, Fort Atkinson WI %
Fri May 8 - CSPS, Cedar Rapids %
Sat May 9 - Molly’s House Concerts, Lincolnville IL %
^ full band # trio % duo
MP3 of the MONTH
When it comes to songwriting, I’m always interested in learning more about my favorite artists’ process. This month, I wanted to share with you an early worktape of “Weary Traveler.” Sometimes songs undergo a pretty radical evolution between writing and recording. In this case, aside from a few word changes and subtle shifts in phrasing, it seems like “Weary Traveler” has always known exactly how it’s supposed to be. It’s available for the month of March at my Bandcamp page. Enjoy!
2nd SHIFT MUSIC SERIES SPRING SEASON
All shows for the Spring 2026 season of the 2nd Shift Music Series that I curate at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham MA are one sale! I only help present artists that I truly believe in, so trust me when I say you can attend any or all of these shows and you will not be disappointed.
Thu Mar 12 - Ward Hayden & Greg Hall
Thu Mar 26 - Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light
Thu Apr 9 - Willy Porter
Thu Apr 30 - Laurie MacAllister
SIDEMAN SECTION
No sideman gigs this month, I’m tending my own garden.
A WORD ABOUT PATREON
JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!
I love streaming music, and stream much of the music I listen to. But streaming does not translate into support, if we define “support” as “generating enough income to keep the lights on and fund the creation of more new music.” This is not your fault, we are all victims of tech companies’ unsustainable (except for them) model.
The best way to sustainably support my creative output is by getting a subscription to my Patreon. As you're thinking about what you want to support in the coming year, I'd be honored if you made my music one of those things. For as little as $5/month ($60/year), you can help me do things like release new songs, make new albums, and tour consistently. In return, you get early access to all new music and much more. Thank you for your support!
peace,
mark
Watch Mark’s performance from the 2019 Americanafest at the Ryman Auditorium!
You can check out a special episode of Austin City Limits featuring highlights from this year's Americanafest (like yours truly performing with Lori McKenna, Josh Ritter, J.S. Ondara & Shawn Colvin) on PBS starting this Saturday at 10 pm CT! Check out this teaser video & go to http://acltv.com/watch/tv-schedule/ & click on "check your local PBS listings" to find out exactly when it will air in your market.
