Mark Petersen

"This," Mark Petersen says, his arm lifted high in the air tapping out beats as an electronic bass-laden song climaxes, "is what I am."
He's referring to the music of course, but to even the untrained eye it's apparent who he really is: An entertainer with inexplicable charm and magnetism. When the music peaks Petersen's eyes flash and the energy emanating from his corner resembles that of a cut power line, shooting off sparks in all directions.

Petersen is a born performer. And he is a paradox. If you were to meet him on the street it's hard to believe that this lithe, almost boyish character can be such an overwhelming and enticing force in the face of an audience. He lures you in with his gentle demeanor. Regardless of the company, his tone is calm, his eyes attentive...the "quiet one," until you get him on stage.

His music... potent rock with heady drum and bass overtones. A timely marriage of two genres resulting in big, spacey guitar that floats over a thick and driving bottom end, intoxicating vocals, and hooks that can't be denied. Petersen is set to entertain from start to finish. The stage is drenched in white light. His band is comprised of a collection of players other musicians can't help but envy. With drum n' bass coming from the resident laptop, live instrumentation that stops for no one and an irrefutable presence, Petersen creates a vibe that will?

a) snatch you from complacency
b) transport you to another sphere
c) kick you in the ass; or
d) all of the above, and not necessarily in that order.

Mark picked up the guitar later than most of his contemporaries. He was already edging out of his teens when he began to ease the blues from his first guitar. Locals at Vancouver's legendary blues bar The Yale had tongues planted firmly in cheek when they nicknamed Petersen 'Fatneck' for his larger-than-life voice, and the fat-necked Gibson he chose as his accomplice. It's debatable as to whether the house band took him under their wing because of his innate talent or, perhaps more likely, because Mark never really used the drink tickets they got as payment. He took his licks and learnt some serious chops before deciding it may be time to "play with friends his own age" and explore music.

The years to follow saw Petersen gigging around town with various outfits, and he quickly became recognized as the "hot guitarist everyone wanted in their band." That versatility served him for years, until he realized his contributions were helping to bring attention to everyone's music but his own.

Over the course of his career, he learned a fluidity that allowed him to move between projects with ease, including touring North America as part of two of the hottest bands on the Canadian music scene at the beginning of the new millenium, namely Econoline Crush and Limblifter. Etching out his own sound proved to be a little trickier, until he stopped to examine what it was that really got him going when he listened to music as a listener rather than an artist.

"I've been going to these drum 'n bass shows and just leaning way into the energy," he tells. "I can't begin to describe the rush of all the senses, the power of physically feeling the music. That's what I needed to do; I needed to create music that would not only feed people on an entertainment level, but a physical level as well."

In 2003 Petersen performed at the Western Canadian Music Awards, NXNE (an invited performer of the SOCAN Songwriter?s Night) and New Music West, and released his self-titled debut EP.

Mark is hit The Factory studios this past October for the recording of his first full length disc. "Lost and Found" is being independently released this July! As always, hotshots Bradley Ferguson and Geoff Hicks joined Mark, along with producer Jesse Zubot!