CHARLIE MARS

Growing up in Mississippi, he was a kid who listened to the radio a lot. WNSL played 80’s pop radio hits, and he also got into classic singer-songwriters like Neil Young and Jackson Browne.

When he was in high school, he formed his first band that played a mix of covers and originals. They would play at the local VFW and Charlie remembers his mother would often need to drive the band members home in her station wagon when they drank too much at gigs.

Charlie would start to write his own songs with the intent of never squeezing himself into a single genre. He tried to keep his initial songs “classic”, and he always liked Country music (the less popular kind). He then got into Jam Bands and Alt-Country music, especially Uncle Tupelo. He majored in English while attending college at SMU in Dallas, and always liked being a wordsmith. A friend introduced Charlie to Daniel Lanois’ music, which inspired him to start experimenting more with atmospheric sounds. Like any songwriter worth his salt, Mars employs his art as a channel towards personal discovery, candidly exploring all the human limitations – from pride and fear to cynicism self-doubt – that stand in the way of his attaining true happiness.

He has released 7 studio albums, a series of EPs, and several singles over the past 20 years. He’s shared the stage with the likes of REM, KT Tunstall and Steve Earle, and has been profiled in Forbes, USA Today, American Songwriter and many major media outlets. If you ask him, Charlie says he’s made a living playing in small clubs and backyards. But he still wants to have a tour bus and play in front of big crowds. “It’s fun to have a dream. It keeps me going” he says. “I can’t believe I made it this far in music. I figure while I had the chance, I should try to represent the people and the culture that shaped me.”