Mark Wanger

There is hope.  Those words were etched into Mark Wagner's mind after his first visit to Africa as a sponsored artist for Mocha Club (www.mochaclub.org).  Mark visited The Village of Hope in Northern Uganda, and found a place that exists between two very different worlds.  The village is pinned between the reality of a devastating civil war that has ravaged the country and its people for two decades, and a world of limitless possibilities, wrought with the one force that can topple the LRA.  Hope. 

The Village exists to give aid to the female survivors of the civil war; they deal in giving hope to the hopeless.  Mark saw it.  His life was changed by it.  His music is being shaped by this hope, and the chance to offer hope to the hopeless.  "Sun's Gonna Rise", Mark Wagner's new album, is birthed directly from the simple, powerful fact that there is indeed hope, for all of us. 

Mark has had a clear vision for his music from the beginning.  His first shows were at local coffee houses and music clubs in his native East Tennessee.  His self-produced first album, "While I'm Here" was released in 2004, and he hasn't looked back.  He grew as an artist to tour nationally year-round, and has performed with artists such as Brandon Heath, Paul Wright, and Rachel Lampa.  Four albums and 10,000 album sales later, Mark is still doing the very thing he loves most, playing music that inspires and gives hope.  Mark has sung about that hope in front of thousands of high school students during his volunteer work with Young Life, an organization that lines up with Mark's vision of giving hope to the hopeless.

Rooted in the pop sounds of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, blended with deep, rich lyrics, "Sun's Gonna Rise" is an album that is classically Mark Wagner, but a work that is more ambitious and refined than any of his previous works.  "I really wanted this album to punch people in the gut.  My hope for these songs was that they would challenge the listener and force them to ask questions about their own view of the world," Mark explains.  His collaboration with various talented artists in the production of "Sun's Gonna Rise" gives the album a credibility that stands up to any major label creation.  One of those collaborations was with producer Ben Shive.  "Working with Ben was a great experience.  He challenged me to become a better songwriter, and challenged my vision for the production of the songs."  Mark adds, "He is a musical genius and was able to really breathe life into the songs."

It’s those songs that so eloquently communicate a vision of hope.  From top to bottom the album is full of tracks, masterfully constructed, giving crystal clear images of hope for the hopeless.  Whether it’s struggles, and the hope of overcoming ("There's A Mountain"), the hope in relationships ("Here For You"), or the fact that hope is something for all of us ("There is Hope"), "Sun’s Gonna Rise" is a powerful, honest work that clearly showcases Mark Wagner as an artist to be watched.

Mark has seen desperation and triumph.  He has felt hopelessness and mercifully has seen hope.  As he knows, and as "Sun’s Gonna Rise" clearly announces, there is hope...for all of us.

Ryan Long

After 10 years of writing and performing songs as a career, Long is more aware of his role and persuaded by the part that his brand of music plays in the life of those who will listen. “Music and story are both messengers”, says Long, “the Message, ‘You are not alone’,  is worth carrying, at any cost”.  “If you find me on the road dead, I hope you will find me with the message in my hands”, he says with a grin.

Ryan grew up in East Tennessee and has stayed.  His grandfather was a “folk” singer who combed the Appalachians collecting songs that he would later sing and play for various audiences.  Now, Long carries the gift with him as he goes.

Long has sold over 60,000 of his 4 recordings independently and another 40,000 songs on itunes.  He performs nationally for over 15,000 high school students each year.  The majority of his work is with Young Life, a global non-profit mission for kids. 

 

What people say:

 

 “There is something beautiful in his music that has made Long an exceptional songwriter and a consistent favorite at PasteMusic.com”

-              Pastemusic.com

 

I get handed a cd or two at most shows, and most of them don't grab me, but I give them a quick listen - just in case one of them sounds like yours does.”

-              David Wilcox, What Are Records recording Artist

 

 

“There are some recordings whose depth and sophistication defy easy description.  Long’s intimate, multi-layered lyrics are set in acoustic guitar-driven arrangements that perfectly complement the complex content and mood of each song.  To hear his music is to be enlarged.”

-              Kemper Crabb, Grassroots Music

 

 

Ryan Long is a storyteller who seems to help me find 'the suburbs of Eden' in his art for the recounting of life's panoply of simple moments.

-        Joe Novenson 

 

Jake Ousley is a singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. And you are going to love him, if you don’t already. Sure, it’s his voice and songwriting that got you here. Because his songs pull at you like the feeling you get when you pull up to your house from being gone too long, or when you have a good night with great friends. That kind of sentiment is his songwriting is what got him here. But it’s also the talent and the time and the way he glides words up to music and makes them dance together. 

Jake didn’t start out on the stage. He attended college at Belmont University and through a series of nice-to-meet-ya’s, Jake ended up being friends with Dave Barnes and Matt Wertz, two local musicians. Dave and Matt headed out to tour and play shows across the country and they grabbed Jake by the collar and threw him in the van…

As a tour manager.

Out of his element, and admittedly out of his skill set, Jake worked hard, got the job done, and lived out on the road with those musicians. Performing wasn’t on Jake’s radar- he wasn’t out on the road as a step towards a career. He wrote songs every now and then, but never did he plan on following in the footsteps of the guys he was out on the road with.

When his touring season ended, Jake left Nashville and to some extent, left the idea of being a songwriter. Spending some time away from Nashville though, ended up being exactly what brought Jake back.

Jake moved to Michigan in 2008, taking a job in youth ministry. Out of the pressure of a songwriter-saturated town, Jake’s writing changed shape. It became a place of rest, a place of release. Jake wrote out of his heart, from what he knows, and the songs were good. People took notice. Young Life Camps began to bring Jake out for concerts. Spending the summer at Wilderness Ranch, he saw first hand how people responded positively to his music. 

Some of Jake’s biggest fans are other musicians- Seth Philpott, Matt Wertz, Dave Barnes. And towards the end of his time in Michgan all of his friends said the same thing- come back to Nashville. Make music. 

“Jake has been a dear friend for a long long time, so when he told me he had started to write and sing i didn't know if he was joking or not. But it's no joke, my friends. His songs get stuck in my head, as much, if not more than some of my favorite artists out there. He has the unique gift of having a voice that perfectly suits his songs, both of which I LOVE.” 

- Dave Barnes

“Jake's music is like finding a forward written in a families photo album. Warm and full of memory. Jake Ousley's voice is reminiscent of that high and lonesome sound with a twist of modern Americana.” 

– Seth Philpott

So here he is. Living in Nashville as a singer/songwriter. Making good music. Writing new songs. Spending hours at the piano or with his guitar. With an EP coming on in early 2010, and a spring tour taking off in February Jake has found success. Because to him, success is this. Right here. Today. Playing music for you.

And this is only the beginning.