Multi-instrumental producer, singer and songwriter Mark Lean goes the extra distance, releasing the first single ‘Lounge’ from his upcoming album. The song was co-produced, mixed and mastered by a host of incredibly talented artists who all played a significant role in turning his vision into a Disco- Funk reality.

The drive of the song is gained from the mixing of genres, a nostalgic Jazzy Funk sound with new, more experimental tones. It's a real groover, created for the listener to dance, fitting coming from an artist exposed to so many different cultures. This release comes after spending his time in New York honing his skill-set by playing in bars along with studies at the prestigious LIU Brooklyn, learning from great mentors such as award-winning composer Kenyatta Beasley (Jay-Z, Ben Harper, Mary J. Blige) and renowned opera singer Alba Quezada (Houston Grand Opera, Brooklyn Academy of Music). It was time for Mark to express the funk like his heroes Prince, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix and Sting. Mark states: “the importance of music and the community music enables us to gather around emotions and understand each other in spite of whatever differences we have.”

Since childhood, he has developed a talent as a musician to create music that bends genres and songs that deliver a range of different emotions. Mark’s primary focus revolves around authenticity, not only does he write and perform almost all the material in his music himself but he also strives to display a genuine version of himself to his fans. He feels people have become unattached from personal, meaningful relationships and dissociated with each other, something  he wants to change.

Mark Lean sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

My grandfather put a guitar in my lap when I was a baby, and I’ve been playing ever since. He's A jazz musician who has always filled his life filled with music, and growing up with instruments and learning how it can connect people early on made it clear to me that it was something I wanted to get really fucking good at. What really made me want to make a living out of music was when I understood how I could combine playing instruments and singing. There is nothing like the feeling of playing with a band and performing in front of people who understand your music.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

D’angelo is a big one for me. I like artists that play instruments and produce themselves, and know how to involve the right people in their projects. I would love to make a record with Anderson. Paak at the moment, his drum skills and vocals are crazy and it would be great to work with him on a record.

3.  What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?

I’m releasing my first album this September, and to be honest I'm excited to get it out so I can play gigs. I make music to play the songs live and I want people to come out and get the whole experience, so I'm excited to get the band ready to give people some amazing performances.

4. How would you describe your sound?

My sound is a good mix of the timeless vintage and modern rawness. The sound is wide because I want to create a landscape of music that's unique and feels new. I’ve spent a lot of time learning how to play different instruments as well as producing so I want to be able to push some boundaries. I am blending genres in new ways to create music that is as true to the emotion I want, not to fit a category.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

I made a song early on in my career inspired by the process of dealing with the loss of a family member, and sometime after the release I received an email from a guy that had lost his father and that they had chosen to bury him while playing the song. That made me feel like I was able to accurately get the emotion I wanted into the song and it made me proud that the song could be a part of his grieving and give him hope.

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

Don’t make music for anybody but yourself. It's never quality music, and you’re not gonna be satisfied if you make it for someone else. And don’t give a fuck about opinions and social media stuff. Would love to see young original people making timeless music and understanding the sacrifice and dedication it takes to create something genuinely new and interesting. I would love to make music with those people.

7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

Lots of great people out there, but I mostly listen to a lot of 60s soul, 70s rock, 90s Neo soul and some hip hop from the 2000s. But I would love to put more people on D’angelo to be honest. His music is very unique. A more modern artist I recommend listening to is Mick Jenkins. Hip hop has a lot of great artists but I like his exceptional lyricism.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

I’ve been listening to Aquemini by Outkast a lot. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers by Kendrick is heavily rotating as well as Voodoo by D’angelo. Lots of music playing.

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

I enjoy traveling and meeting people from different cultures. Been doing a lot of work to improve my mental health post lockdown and playing football has been a great way to get better. I’m also a family man so I spend a lot of time with family and close friends.

10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?

The most important thing to me is to have an environment where it's as easy as possible to create music that resonates with the emotion of the song. So the first thing that comes to mind is the people in the studio. I like to work with people who are focused and creative, and the ones in the studio while creating are essential for the best outcome. I also need my instruments, the right guitar for the song and my bass are especially important. Lastly you need to hydrate and water is always in the studio.