NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Rising Nashville artist and Maryland native Mark Taylor has had a guitar in his hand since he was two years old and has never looked back.
“My dad was/is a huge influence on my music career. He paid his way through college playing cover gigs in bars. By the time I was two years old, I was playing nonsense chords on a little guitar. By the time I was six and seven, I was playing in his band with a bunch of his friends,” he said.
Taylor was hooked early on. He has been playing in shows all over the world since age 13. Sometimes they would lie about his age to get him into places so he could play.
His dad was a classic rock guy, and Taylor grew up listening to and playing everything from The Eagles to Billy Joel.
“That was the music that made me want to do country music because of the storytelling,” the singer said. “I was into everything from classic rock to jazz. I was a Frank Sinatra singer. I was in a pop band, a rock band, and finally found country music.”
He draws inspiration from the greats, including The Allman Brothers Band, the Eagles, Jake Owen, Mitchel Tenpenny, and Thomas Rhett.
Taylor attended college at Wake Forest, where he studied communications, entrepreneurship, and criminology.
“I loved my time at Wake but during the pandemic, it was a little rough. I would come to Nashville to write songs,” he recalled. Even still, he would tour most weekends when possible.
“On Fridays, I’d go open for people like Big N Rich and Bryon White. My professors were cool with letting me follow my dream which was a blessing.”
With a few singles under his belt, like “I’m Down” and “Buzzed On A Boat,” Taylor has achieved success on Spotify’s curated playlists. He has also been featured in numerous print and TV placements, including The Tennessean, Nashville-TV Fox, and NBC affiliates. He has also received national and international airplay in Australia, Ireland, London, Switzerland, and the U.K.
The country crooner has released a feel-good party anthem just in time for summer, “Dust Off That Dirt.” When you hear lyrics like It’s time to dust off that dirt/ Hightail it to the outskirts/Trade four walls for four wheels/ A front porch for a backfield/ Cause there’s nothing quite like /A little starlight moonshine good time/ Raise a little hell on a slice of heaven on earth/ Knock the dust off that dirt you’ll want to go four-wheeling (or muddin’ as we say in the south) with your besties as soon as possible.
He said, “I wrote [“Dust Off That Dirt”] with a good buddy of mine, Dan Harrison. We were really looking for a fun party. We wanted to go out to the country and kick the dust up and enjoy ourselves. It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever put out.”
Taylor is gearing up to continue that momentum with this release. He recently appeared at this year’s Tin Pan South Festival in Nashville and is gearing up to play at some of the most major country festivals in the U.S., including Country Fest in Wisconsin, Frog Fest in New York, CMA Music Festival, and others.
Taylor is touring with the same band he had in high school and has played well over a thousand shows all over the world and completed multiple tours so far, showing his endless dedication to country music.
Though he gets little sleep he confirmed, “We love being on the road because that’s where we’re happiest.”
At age 23, his whirlwind lifestyle showcases all his talents, whether that be performing on stage, writing new material, in the studio laying down vocals, playing the guitar, tickling the ivories, playing the drums, or even the ukulele, he combines the sound of modern country and classic rock for his unique sound. You will be energized and smiling ear to ear once you see him in person.
Taylor is playing 60+ venues this summer, so be sure to follow his tour schedule to see if he is playing in a city near you.
You can follow Taylor on his website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and Twitter.
