Singer-Songwriter John Mark Nelson Shows His Appreciation On New Single “Bright”

Singer-songwriter John Mark Nelson has announced his new EP Hideaway will be out on April 8th via Nightshop Music. From the release comes “Bright”, a striking and heartwarming ode to his newlywed wife who brought a refreshing sense of positivity to his insecurities about the musician industry.

“I created “Bright” in a tiny apartment in Saint Paul, Minnesota shortly after getting married,” shares Nelson about the song. “I was in somewhat of a downward mental spiral because the career that I thought was panning out for me, sort of fell apart in a quick hurry. The only thing that felt truly bright in my life at that moment was my wife. For the production of the song, everything is built around a fast picked classical acoustic guitar. The cool thing about that guitar is that it was actually my wife’s when she was a kid. So it’s the first song I made on that instrument after our stories’ combined.”

After he had all but given up on his own career as a performer due to being dropped by his label in a dizzyingly short timespan as a teenager, he found himself reinvigorated and creatively refreshed. He headed to Los Angeles to work with Dan Wilson (Mitski, Taylor Swift, Leon Bridges), and Hideaway resulted in a renewed sense of appreciation.

Serving as a strong introduction to the collection, “Bright” is filled with rich guitar tones and electronic flourishes to round-out a feel-good anthem. Listen below:

(Photo credit: Molly Adams)