| Mark Geary | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mark Geary |
| Born | 31 January 1971 |
| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | Folk, indie rock, folk rock |
| Occupations | Musician, Songwriter, Singer, Actor |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, drums |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | SonaBLAST! Records |
| Website | Official Mark Geary Site |
Mark Geary (born 31 January 1976) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician born in Dublin, Ireland into a large family with ten siblings, one of whom is actor Karl Geary. In 1992 he emigrated to New York City after being called up for a lottery-won green card. Living in New York's East Village, Geary began playing the local circuit, in venues such as the Sin É alongside Jeff Buckley, and other artists. Geary also worked in popular New York bar The Scratcher.[1]
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When Geary arrived in New York he had the chance to jump right in at the famous Sin-é bar, however his lack of experience in front of an audience was intimidating. “It was a huge amount of pressure,” said Geary. “I walked in and saw Jeff Buckley, Katell Keineg, Sinéad O'Connor.” Humbled, Geary packed up his guitar and began seeking out gigs at less exalted local spots. He built a reputation playing at Sidewalk Café and won a regular slot at the Pink Pony. Eventually, Geary worked his way back to Sin-é, where he found himself on a regular bill sandwiched between Keineg and Buckley.[2] Geary released his first album Mark Geary in 1999, but the record label went out of business before it could properly find an audience.
In 2002, his “new” debut album, 33⅓ Grand Street was released on SonaBLAST! Records. His second album, Ghosts, released in 2004, brought him critical acclaim in Ireland and the States and was voted Album of the Year (2005) by the Irish Voice. The album also features songs with guest vocalists Glen Hansard and Josh Ritter.[3] The album also came in at number 68 in the HotPress readers' poll for the Top 100 Greatest Irish Albums.
Geary regularly tours throughout the year all over Europe, the U.S. and Australia. In August 2005, Geary played at the Kennedy Center. He has supported major artists all over the world, in 2008 he supported the Oscar winning duo, The Swell Season on their European tour. Other acts he has played with include, Josh Ritter, Bell X1, The Frames, Coldplay, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders and Joe Strummer.
Geary’s latest studio recording, Opium, was released in 2008.
His most recent live recording in 2009, Live, Love, Lost It - NYC took him back to his New York roots and features songs recorded at various shows performed in the summer of 2009.
Geary has composed the score to three films, 2005’s Loggerheads and 2006’s Steel City.[4]
Most recently he composed the score for a new film, Sons of Perdition, featured at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.[5]
Geary’s songs have been featured in various films including the 2006 movie, The End of Silence.[6] The film features Geary’s song 'Hold Tight' over the closing credits. His songs have also been featured on television including the One Tree Hill,[7] which featured his songs South (season 2) and Angel (season 6).