Mark Brine was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the major folk scenes in the country and got his first taste of Hank Williams from his uncle’s record collection and later learned about rock and roll through the Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley records his aunt played for him. Both of these exposures along with the exposure to the southern blues sounds of artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf would cement Brine’s interest in traditional American music. Though Brine’s professional music debut came as an electric guitar player for several different rhythm and blues bands in Massachusetts, he ultimately unplugged his guitar and moved to Nashville to study traditional country and roots music. As a roster artist and staff writer for two record labels, he found instead an overwhelmingly commercialized music industry. Unable and unwilling to conform, Brine rather sought to create his own brand of Americana.
Brine left Nashville to produce ‘Return to Americana’ in 1985, and in 1988 ‘American Pieces.' In 1992, his song, 'New Blue Yodel" produced by Honest Tom Pomposello received two preliminary Grammy nominations and won Brine the attention of Hank Snow who invited Mark to perform it as his guest on the Grand Ole Opry. The song itself became the title cut of a CD in 1995.
Over the course of his recording career, Mark has put together an impressive collection of albums that showcases not only his voice and guitar work, but also his songwriting ability and his craft for musical composition and arrangement. To fully understand Brine’s depth as a performer and as a songwriter you need to listen to the evolution of the music. While Mark’s earlier recordings are filled with keen observation and wit, they only hint at the adept storyteller he would become with such songs as I’ve Always Been a Sucker for Your Smile (Miss Rebecca), 8th Grade Romance ( … And They Danced), The Parlor Song and from his latest release ‘farm girl’ which is no exception.
A true songsmith Brine has recorded and released more than 20 albums of original material over the years. Though each album is different, they all share a deep-rooted respect for traditional American music thus making Brine a true practitioner of Americana music. When asked to describe his own sound, Brine uses the term “Americana” but is quick to explain. “When talking about my music, the term Americana is about taking the listener back to a more innocent time that no longer exists in America,” said Brine. “Two of my favorite artists are Norman Rockwell and Thomas William Jones. Both are true folk artists and have an amazing ability to capture a moment in time. That’s what I’m doing with my music. I want to capture that moment in a song.“
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Staff writer and roster artist for two Nashville record labels • Winner of the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Contest, Meridian, MS • Opening act at the legendary World Famous Tootsies Orchid Lounge in Nashville for six years • Appeared on Ernest Tubb’s Midnight Jamboree with Roy Acuff and the Smokey Mountain Boys • Appeared on Rig Rock Jukebox, Diesel Only label’s compilation of northern alt-country acts • Two preliminary Grammy nominations for Best Male Country Vocalist and Best Country Song • Debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry with Hank Snow and his Rainbow Ranch Boys • ECMA’s DJ listing of top 200 country artists in Europe • Inductee into the National Traditional Country Music Association (NTCMA) Hall of Fame
DISCOGRAPHY
1978 Hello Lady Door Knob Records (45rpm)
1978 Comin' Home To Love Door Knob Records (45 rpm)
1978 Words Door Knob Records (45 rpm)
1979 The Carol (aka The Christmas Carol No One Listens For) Society Records (45 rpm)
1980 My Folks Were Like Ma and Pa Kettle Society Records (45 rpm)
1985 Return to Americana KJK Records (cassette)
1988 American Pieces KJK Records (LP)
1992 New Blue Yodel <resigned> records (45 rpm)
1992 Rig Rock Jukebox Diesel Only (CD)
1995 New Blue Yodel <resigned> records (CD)
1999 American Bleak House KJK Records (CD)
1999 Real Special Feelin' Wild Oats Records (CD)
2000 Back in the Country Sound Asleep Records (CD)
2003 for Karrie Wild Oats Records (CD)
2004 Fortunes • the Best of Mark Brine Shut Eye Records (CD)
2005 I'm Not Anyone • The Nashville Sessions Door Knob Records (CD)
2006 I Deliver KJK Records (CD)
2006 My Christmas Song For You Miss Rebecca Music (CD)
2008 Out on Luke's Highway (CD)
2008 American Bleak House - The Complete Collection (Digital)
2009 LIVE in the Field of Bluegrass (CD)
2010 Return to Americana Volume 1 (CD)
2010 Return of the Drifter (CD)
2011 The Carol Soundtrack (Double CD)
2012 Mark Brine and His Folkabilly Bluezgrass (CD)
2013 Meeting of the Hats Live in Europe (CD)
2015 All Alone and Blue (CD)
2016 Old Timey Tunes Volume 2 (CD)
2016 Vinny & Ant Ethel (Songs from Mrs. Alexander's Farm) CD
2018 Electric Hillbilly (CD)
2020 Tall Tales and Therefore Truths (The Scout Memoirs) Songbook/CD
2024 rural notes (CD)