Mark Simos—songwriter,
composer, tunesmith—is respected as both innovator and neo-traditionalist, a
“musician’s musician” and “a master at avoiding clichés in genres built on
them.” He has had four songs recorded by Americana super-group Alison Krauss
and Union Station, and more than 100 song and instrumental cuts overall with
artists including Del McCoury, the Infamous Stringdusters, Laurie Lewis, and
Doyle Lawson. Drawing on deep knowledge of varied traditional music sources,
Mark’s signature style combines finely crafted lyrics with surprising twists of
melody, harmony and phrasing. Alison Krauss calls Mark “… a remarkable
songwriter… one of those rare people who knows what words sound good together,
his lyrics just as unique as his melodies. I never stop being amazed at his
songs; I'm never surprised that I love another one.”
Also a respected guitar accompanist for
traditional music and a prize-winning fiddler, Mark is featured on over a dozen
albums and has appeared in concerts and at festivals throughout the US and
Europe. Mark has released an acclaimed solo album of songs, Crazy Faith, and four albums of original and traditional fiddle music. Fellow
songwriter Bob Franke calls Mark: “… an
artist who has spent enough time with traditional music to learn its spiritual
as well as its musical lessons, and to use that learning to forge an art at
once timeless and utterly contemporary.”
For more than three decades Mark has been
staff musician, teacher and workshop leader at summer music and dance camps
including Pinewoods, Ashokan, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Puget Sound
Guitar Workshop (PSGW), California Coast Music Camp (CCMC), Summer Acoustic
Music Week (SAMW), Augusta Old-Time Week, NewSongs Festival. As Assistant
Professor in the Songwriting Department at Berklee College of Music, Mark has
developed new curriculum in areas including guitar techniques for songwriters,
songwriting collaboration, and traditional and contemporary fiddle ensembles.
