Mark's album '˜Woe' as alter-ego '˜Rodney Owl' proving popular

He's already well known on the music circuit and now talented Lurgan musician Mark McConville has released a brand new album.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Feb 2016, 19:00 BST
Updated 17th Feb 2016, 07:10 BST
Mark McConvilleMark McConville
Mark McConville

Highly respected by his peers and fans alike, Mark has had a varied and interesting career here, in London and his now home in Galway.

Born in 1971, Mark grew up in Meadowbrook and went to school at Tullygally Primary School.

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As a youth he was an acclaimed boxer from aged 10-13. Indeed he was Mid Ulster and Ulster Boxing Champion in 1983 however he lost in the All -Ireland final that same year.

Mark moved to Ulster St, Lurgan in 1984 and went to Lismore Comprehensive where he formed a local band Proud Mary in 1987.

However he left for London aged 18 . “I had a head full of big ideas and a Rock Star attitude but didn’t quite work out that way,” admitted Mark.

He worked various jobs as he lived in London for around five years before returning home for a brief period.

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Mark moved to Galway in the summer of 1996 and that has been his home ever since.

Now he is a regular and very well known on the Galway music scene, mostly as a blues singer.

“But I like to keep that separate from the Rodney Owl Project,” saidMark, whose alter-ego is Rodney Owl.

“Rodney Owl is very different from my other ventures. All original, every note, every word was written by myself,” said Mark.

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“I wanted complete artistic control over the songs, so when it came to bringing in other musicians to record, they only played exactly what they’d already been given on demo recordings.

“I wanted the pressure of being responsible for every melody, harmony, lyric, beat etc.

“So basically, if it didn’t turn out how I wanted, I’d only have myself to blame.

“I also played the majority of instruments myself.

“It’s an album that deals with love lost, the conflict of accepting our own insignificance in the universe, addiction, grief and new beginnings. Hence the title - Woe,” he explained.

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At the moment it is available on all on-line music stores, iTunes, Amazon etc. for digital download only. You can also find it streaming on Spotify.

​Hard copies (CD) will be available on bandcamp.com within the next week or two.

Related topics:LondonMid Ulster