Mark Duval | en

Mark Duval (1962) is a singer / songwriter from Kalamazoo, Michigan. In March of 2006 he released his first cd, Rhythm of the Rustbelt, a mix of roots rock, folk and blues, the culmination of over 20 years experience writing and performing in a variety of musical genres. Mark’s eclectic songwriting has been compared to Tom Waits, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan among others.

Mark Duval’s songwriting versatility goes wide and deep, taking the listener from haunted landscapes of brooding fingerstyle folk ballads to rhythm-driven latin dance grooves, alt-country waltzes and smoky, shuffling blues and jazz riffs that show off his skills as a rhythm guitarist. With lyrics that stick in your craw, Duval weaves stories and social commentaries on love, loss, and the human predicament.

Who IS this guy and where did he come from? - mature songwriting, wonderfully tasteful arrangements, and naturally pleasing voices draw you in…This stuff has it all…it’s genuine, catchy, thought-provoking and fun. Throughout the album, banjo, violin, percussion and clarinet are used sparingly and with great effect. Harmony singer Traci Seuss is feelin’ it, and her parts add even more substance and soul to the sound. These albums by Kalamazoo singer/songwriter Mark Duval have found a permanent home on Grassroots, WMUK’s locally-produced acoustic music show.
-Lorraine Caron, host of Grassroots, WMUK 102.1

Rhythm of the Rustbelt is like a cross-country road trip - the soundtrack to a summer sunrise over a dusty, forlorn Route 66. ‘Real Men Dig Their Own Graves’ is a beat-driven, boot-stomper atoned with Duval’s best rendition of Tom Waits’ graveled vocals... The album is earthy, candid and nostalgic - everything an Americana album should be.
Reviewer: - Dustin Walsh, Music Writer, On the Town Magazine; Creem Magazine .