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Aiming for iTunes chart success for the final time, MARKX releases the final EP from the element themed song collection on 29th June 2019. The 'Fire' EP is available to save and pre order from all major digital distributers - pre order your copy now here and help 'Fire' chart on iTunes chart! About the release MARKX adds: "The songs are the most vulnerable and honest I've ever written. It's like facing all your demons head on. Pulling all of the painful things out of the box and looking at them all at once" Check out the promo video for the collection below: "Fire has been a long time coming, mainly because one of the tracks, 'Burn', had been placed on hold for a major artist for two years or so!" The release will feature three brand new songs with contributions from fellow singer songwriters Beth Keeping and Carolyn Oakley (Jaayns) along with 'Burn', the first song to be written and released as a solo write for MARKX. About 'Burn' MARKX adds: "Burn was born out of a time where I wasn't sure whether I was going to pursue being an artist. I wanted just to write alone, more as therapy rather than with an output in mind. I believe it's one of the most honest songs I've ever written and the one I'm most proud of. As a song it was one of the first I'd had some real interest from - I was loathed to let go of it originally but I came up with the idea of delaying it until the final EP and possibly covering my own track!" The songs on the collection all fall comfortably into the folk pop/ singer songwriter genre and have received praise from head of BBC Radio 2/ 6 Music's Jeff Smith and BBC Sussex's Sarah Gorrell: About the BBC Radio 2 connection: "To receive such enthusiasm this early on in a project is incredible. My gut feeling has always been a folk pop sound and to have that validated my such a senior figure in the business is immense. I was waiting on tenterhooks once the 'Earth' EP tracks were submitted for the BBC Radio 2 playlisting meeting. I have my next shot with the 'Fire' EP - knowing in my heart these are some of my best work to date" The EP is again produced, mixed and mastered by Michael Clarke (Sad Professors/ Martine McCutcheon band) with a vocal arrangement credit for Hati. With the collection of element themed EPs reaching their conclusion over the summer, MARKX will turn his attention to collecting all the songs which will feature on an album in the autumn. MARKX adds: "It's another opportunity to promote the key songs in the collection whilst the next project is recorded. I'm still in complete shock I've managed 9 songs and 9 videos as I set myself an audacious goal to get some momentum going. I'll have time to revisit some of the songs over the summer as they are brought together with the album" In terms of plans for the future. MARKX adds: "The 'elements' album will be followed by a collection of brand new material. I'm mixing it up and using a crowdfunding style campaign for this next one. It will be organic instruments and a folk pop sound. I had the luxury of assembling a brand new team of writers for this one. I'd planned to spend the the summer writing for the next project. As it happened the songs ended up being written by spring so I'm raring to go in and record!" The 'Fire' EP is available to save and pre order from all major digital distributers - pre order your copy now here and help 'Fire' chart on iTunes chart! The 'Fire' tracklisting is as follows: 1. 'Bonfire' - MARKX/ Keeping 2. 'Hold A Light' - MARKX/ Oakley 3. 'Burn' - MARKX #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #britishartist #independentartist #singersongwriter #ituneschart #fireep #ianmarkx #diaryofacreativesoul #BBCradio2 #hatimusic #bethkeeping #jaayns #SarahGorrell #water #earth #air #fire #hatimusic

'Paint Over The Walls' has been selected as BBC Introducing's Track Of The Day for Sussex & Surrey - today Monday 17th June. The track will be played on Sarah Gorrell's Drive Time show and will be broadcast at approximately 4:40PM UK time. About the news MARKX adds: "The BBC have been amazing in getting behind independent artists and I'm so happy the songs are getting onto the airwaves and heard - it really feels like we're gaining some momentum! Also Sarah has turned out to be a big fan of the songs and e-mailed this morning - we have an ongoing joke about getting my name right!" You can listen to 'Paint Over The Walls' at approximately 4:40pm UK time via the following: BC Sussex, BBC Surrey, DAB and BBC Sounds App Listen in Brighton on 95.3 FM Listen in Sussex & Surrey 104-104.8 FM Listen online via the BBC Sounds app Here is the lyric video in the meantime: #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #paintoverthewalls #bbcradio #britishartist #independentartist #singersongwriter #bbcintroducing #earthep #ianmarkx #diaryofacreativesoul #SarahGorrell #water #earth #air #fire

On Thursday 13th June MARKX will be supporting the incredible Lauren Ray at The Troubedor London. Lauren has recently supported some major artists including Rebecca Ferguson, Anastasia and Lucy Spraggan. About the show MARKX adds: "As well as being one of my very good friends, Lauren has been a HUGE inspiration to me and I credit her for encouraging me to put material out again! I cannot wait to open up for her on the London date of her UK tour!" There are a limited number of tickets available here make sure you don't miss out! #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #britishartist #independentartist #singersongwriter #ituneschart #fireep #ianmarkx #diaryofacreativesoul #LaurenRay #UKtour #water #earth #air #fire #livemusic

MARKX will release 'Fire', the final EP from the element themed song collection on 29th June 2019. The 'Fire' EP is available to save and pre order from all major digital distributers - pre order your copy now here and help 'Fire' chart on iTunes chart! About the release MARKX adds: "Fire has been a long time coming, mainly because one of the tracks, 'Burn', had been placed on hold for a major artist for two years or so!" The release will feature three brand new songs with contributions from fellow singer songwriters Beth Keeping and Carolyn Oakley (Jaayns) along with 'Burn', the first song to be written and released as a solo write for MARKX. About 'Burn' MARKX adds: "Burn was born out of a time where I wasn't sure whether I was going to pursue being an artist. I wanted just to write alone, more as therapy rather than with an output in mind. I believe it's one of the most honest songs I've ever written and the one I'm most proud of. As a song it was one of the first I'd had some real interest from - I was loathed to let go of it originally but I came up with the idea of delaying it until the final EP and possibly covering my own track!" The songs on the collection all fall comfortably into the folk pop/ singer songwriter genre and have received praise from head of BBC Radio 2/ 6 Music's Jeff Smith and BBC Sussex's Sarah Gorrell: About the BBC Radio 2 connection: "To receive such enthusiasm this early on in a project is incredible. My gut feeling has always been a folk pop sound and to have that validated my such a senior figure in the business is immense. I was waiting on tenterhooks once the 'Earth' EP tracks were submitted for the BBC Radio 2 playlisting meeting. I have my next shot with the 'Fire' EP - knowing in my heart these are some of my best work to date" The EP is again produced, mixed and mastered by Michael Clarke (Sad Professors/ Martine McCutcheon band) with a vocal arrangement credit for Hati. With the collection of element themed EPs reaching their conclusion over the summer, MARKX will turn his attention to collecting all the songs which will feature on an album in the autumn. MARKX adds: "It's another opportunity to promote the key songs in the collection whilst the next project is recorded. I'm still in complete shock I've managed 9 songs and 9 videos as I set myself an audacious goal to get some momentum going. I'll have time to revisit some of the songs over the summer as they are brought together with the album" In terms of plans for the future. MARKX adds: "The 'elements' album will be followed by a collection of brand new material. I'm mixing it up and using a crowdfunding style campaign for this next one. It will be organic instruments and a folk pop sound. I had the luxury of assembling a brand new team of writers for this one. I'd planned to spend the the summer writing for the next project. As it happened the songs ended up being written by spring so I'm raring to go in and record!" The 'Fire' EP is available to save and pre order from all major digital distributers - pre order your copy now here and help 'Fire' chart on iTunes chart! The 'Fire' tracklisting is as follows: 1. 'Bonfire' - MARKX/ Keeping 2. 'Hold A Light' - MARKX/ Oakley 3. 'Burn' - MARKX Check out the promo video for the collection below: #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #britishartist #independentartist #singersongwriter #ituneschart #fireep #ianmarkx #diaryofacreativesoul #BBCradio2 #hatimusic #bethkeeping #jaayns #SarahGorrell #water #earth #air #fire #hatimusic

MARKX has been put forward for playlisting and spot plays on BBC Radio 2. The news follows 'Other Side Of The River' being selected as BBC Sussex & Surrey's Track Of The Day in April. About the news MARKX adds: "Two big major developments came in such quick succession! Sometimes you can be hustling away for months and then all of a sudden - a breakthrough! It's exciting and truly terrifying at the same time! It makes a huge difference having people championing you at the other end!" BBC Sussex/ Surrey presenter, Sarah Gorrell, has since been in contact to say she loved the track and will play the songs again. About the high profile support MARKX adds: "It's both wonderfully exciting and truly terrifying! Obviously you never get over the fear of rejection, you just learn to have a different relationship with it! It's a sensitive subject having had my confidence knocked by people I had looked up to in the business. It really does mean something though when you have the head of BBC Radio 2/ 6 Music in your corner and presenters taking the time to drop you an email" Following the release of the final element EP "Fire" in May, the project will be concluded with an album featuring all the tracks. MARKX adds: "It's another opportunity to promote the key songs in the collection whilst the next project is recorded. The next thing is to take my songs out on the road. I'm painfully aware with promoting the tracks I've ended up a keyboard warrior! When I set myself the outrageous goal to release 4 EPs over 8 months it was always going to be tight in terms of time. For me it has all been about gaining momentum after a long break as an artist" In terms of plans for the future. MARKX adds: "The 'elements' album will be followed by a collection of brand new material. I'm mixing it up and using a crowdfunding style campaign for this next one. It will be organic instruments and a folk pop sound. I had the luxury of assembling a brand new team of writers for this one. I'd planned to spend the the summer writing for the next project. As it happened the songs ended up being written by spring so I'm raring to go in and record!" MARKX has also been working with fellow singer songwriter, Sam Dickinson, on new material he adds: "Sam has been a joy to work with. The track is we've written for him is really special, it really does have legs. It's nice to mix it up and work with other artists. The whole industry model has changed significantly and you have to evolve and change to survive the most competitive industry on the planet. That means diversifying your writing to stay relevant" The first 3 EP's 'Water', 'Air' and 'Earth' are all available in all major digital stores with 'Fire' scheduled for release in late May. #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #britishartist #independentartist #singersongwriter #ituneschart # #ianmarkx #diaryofacreativesoul #BBCradio2 #hatimusic #sarahmac #samdickinson #SarahGorrell #water #earth #air

The third MARKX EP 'Earth' will be available to download and stream on Monday 18th March 2019 from all major digital distributers... along with the very news that the songs have been selected for playlisting on BBC Radio 2! The 'Earth' EP is available to pre order from all major digital distributers here. About the news MARKX adds: "It's a dream come true for me to be even in dialogue with Radio 2 let alone being considered for playlisting! Having had such encouraging feedback from head of BBC Radio 2 Jeff Smith" In keeping with the EP title the songs have reverted to a more organic sound with the theme of moving on and reflecting back. About the EP MARKX adds: "I've spent four years developing my sound as an artist. I've dabbled with an electronic sound which served some of the 'Air' and 'Water' tracks well. It feels right to embrace the singer/songwriter label now and go back to a more organic sound for 'Earth'. The EP is again produced by Michael Clarke (Martine Mccutcheon/ Sad Professors) with a co-production/ arrangement/ writing contribution from Hati and features writing contributions from Sarah Mcclellan, Bryony Dunn and Abi Murray. About the co-writers of The Earth EP: "I've been thoroughly spoilt in terms of working with new talent on this EP. All co-writers for this project are singer/songwriters in their own right and some of my favourite people in the world. It's testament to the friendships with the writers that we were able to go to that place emotionally and stay there" The 'Earth' EP is the third instalment from a series of four EPs themed around elements, with the 'Fire' EP scheduled to land in May 2019. About the project MARKX adds: "In December 2017 I set a truly audacious goal to release four EPs over eight months, creating a video for each of the tracks and to put myself out there as an artist finally! So far it's exceeded any expectations I've had with the iTunes chart placement, Scottish Global Music Cart #3 and Radio 2 opportunity" Despite the relative success of the project so far, MARKX has taken a lot of learnings from the experience: "Ideally I would have taken more time to promote the tracks before moving onto the next EP, that said, my goal was to get some momentum going and grow my confidence after being out of the game for such a long time. I would have liked to have done some more live shows along the way - it's a balancing act of ensuring the momentum on the releases is sustained. I've needed to be mindful of being able to ensure funding the project too around freelance work. Everything I've done so far has been 'on my feet' and I've had to learn as I go. I think for someone like me (who over analyses EVERYTHING) that's the best way to approach things. I have no plans to rest on my laurels, writing has commenced on the next project which I hope to launch later in 2019!" 'Earth' EP Tracklisting: 1. Paint Over The Walls (MARKX & Mclellan) 2. Dancing On My Grave (MARKX, Murdoch & Dunn) 3. Roads (MARKX & Murray) The 'Earth' EP is available to pre order from all major digital distributers here. #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #britishartist #independentartist #singersongwriter #ituneschart #ianmarkx #diaryofacreativesoul #BBCradio2 #hatimusic #bryonydunn #sarahmac #kayamac

A write up about the recently released 'Air' EP has been published by top online blog: Talk About Pop Music. Talk About Pop Music features news, views and reviews on all types of music past, present and future. About the review MARKX adds: "The team at Talk About Pop Music have been so incredibly supportive with both the 'Water' and 'Air' releases. As an independent artist I rely on independent blogs to help me reach new followers and help get my music out there" About the connection to Talk About Pop Music: "I was introduced to Christopher Smith via an exciting new artist I'll be writing with, Sam Dickinson - it's so great to be part of this independent creative eco-system and I love how everyone rallies around and supports each other" You can check out the Talk About Pop Music review in full here: "Air" is now available to download on iTunes here. You can save 'Air' on Spotify and Apple Music for streaming here #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #britishartist #air #independentartist #singersongwriter #ituneschart #ianmarkx #talkaboutpopmusic #airep #diaryofacreativesoul

The follow up to debut MARKX's debut EP Water, 'Air', is now available to stream and download from all major digital stores! About the EP MARKX adds: "This collection is my most personal yet - they really are the soundtrack to a very exciting yet challenging part of my life. I feel like these three tracks are some of the most honest and heartfelt songs I've ever written and they all come from a very genuine place". The EP features collaborations with 5 other songwriters including 'Helium Balloon', co-written with the collections producer, Michael Clarke. The tracklisting is as follows: 1. 'Sleeping With A Ghost' (MARKX, Murdoch) 2. 'Complete' (MARKX, Johnson & Dorey) 3. 'Helium Balloon' (MARKX, Clarke & Kelly) Reflecting on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter #14 and Scottish Global Music Chart #3 placings for 'Holding On To Water' MARKX adds: "I do feel the pressure to better the last EP, however that said, this EP is unique in its own way and it being here is success enough. These songs, despite the EP's theme, capture a very nostalgic point in my life where the only thing constant in the air is change" The EP includes a cover of Matt Johnson's 'Complete', effectively a cover of one of MARKX's own songs! He explains: "Complete has a very special place in my heart as it was the first song I had placed with an established artist. It would always find a way into my live shows and it only felt right to do my own take on the song" About the artwork MARKX adds: "The artwork and site animations have again been lovingly created by Morgan Twiston Davies. I've been working with Morgan for over a year now and he's wonderfully captured the essence of my vision for the songs and eco brand going forward" "Air" is now available to download on iTunes here. You can save 'Air' on Spotify and Apple Music for streaming here #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #britishartist #air #independentartist #singersongwriter #ituneschart #ianmarkx

An interview with MARKX was broadcast on Elaine Lamb's Heat FM New York on Monday evening broadcasted to over 70k listeners worldwide (10th December 2019). You can listen to the interview in full along with all three tracks from the 'Water' EP via Mixcloud (commencing at around 38 mins). The interview covered multiple discussion points including mental health, the writing and recording of the 'Water' EP and the forthcoming release of the 'Air' EP in January. About the opportunity MARKX adds: "It was a cold and wet Wednesday last week when the interview took place - I was sat in my cosy home office, wrapped in a blanket and hot water bottle with the seagulls screaming out in the background. It's funny to think of Elaine the opposite end of the country in the Highlands of Scotland and then 70K people tuning in all over the world - it really is a small world!" About the interview Elaine Lamb said: "MARKX is a lovely, lovely young man and an amazingly talented songwriter". Don't miss out on the interview in full via Mixcloud! #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #ElaineLamb #heatfm #britishartist #holdingontowater #othersideoftheriver #waterep #yourssincerely #independentartist #singersongwriter #waterdrops #ituneschart #NewYork #ianmarkx

The 'Water' EP will be played in full on New York's Heat FM today (Monday 3rd December 2018). All three tracks from the EP will appear on Elaine Lamb's show 7-11pm GMT. You can tune into the station wherever you are in the world online here. Elaine will also be playing tracks from the EP on her show on Netherlands station, Sparkle FM, along with a pre recorded interview. About the opportunity MARKX adds: "I was introduced to Elaine via a mutual friend and was overjoyed when she suggested an interview - I nearly fell of my seat when I realised her shows were both International. It was even more of a bonus seeing my track 'Warplane' (Matt Johnson) charted at #15 in the NL iTunes Chart" About the significance of the international coverage MARKX adds: "My dream is to travel the world, create music, promote my work and connect with as many people as possible. This opportunity couldn't have come at a better time for me!" You can find out more about Sparkle FM and Heat FM via their official websites. #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #sparkleFM #heatfm #britishartist #holdingontowater #othersideoftheriver #waterep #yourssincerely #independentartist #singersongwriter #waterdrops #ituneschart #chartplacement #ianmarkx

MARKX will be appearing on Scotland's Radio CamGlen 107.9 FM tomorrow as a special guest (Sunday 2nd December 2018). The interview will include the first exclusive radio play of 'Yours Sincerely' anywhere in the world! About the interview MARKX adds: "I was lucky enough to meet the show's host Ros at an International Songwriting Conference I was running in London. When she offered me the opportunity to appear on her show I jumped at the chance! I also didn't realise they have listeners across the Atlantic and beyond." About Radio CamGlen MARKX adds: "What Radio CamGlen are doing for independent artists is truly amazing. Ros has been providing an incredible platform for up and coming artists and has already featured some of my industry friends. Get behind the station it's amazing!" You can tune into Radio CamGlen wherever you are in the world here make sure you don't miss the show - it's going to be a cracker! #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #radiocamglen #holdingontowater #othersideoftheriver #waterep #yourssincerely #independentartist #singersongwriter #waterdrops #ituneschart #chartplacement #ianmarkx

Following its release on 19th November 2019, 'Holding On To Water' has debuted #14 in iTunes Singer/Songwriter Chart. After initially going straight in at #16 the track (from debut EP 'Water) climbed to its peak at #14 - fighting off strong competition from Hozier's 'Take Me To Church'. MARKX was also the only independent artist in the iTunes top 20 not supported by a major record label. About the chart placement MARKX adds: "The outpouring of kindness and support with this campaign has been truly mind blowing! I have never been quite so humbled by the coming together of so many people. And to think at one point I had all but given up!" 'Holding On To Water' is available to download and stream from all major digital distributors worldwide! #MARKX #MARKXMUSIC #holdingontowater #othersideoftheriver #waterep #independentartist #singersongwriter #waterdrops #ituneschart #chartplacement