One To Watch: Mark Barrett - GigslutzGigslutz

Gigslutz Unsigned certainly sees plenty of new and cool bands coming up to break into the music industry, but great new singer-songwriters are hard to come by. Sixteen year old Mark Barrett is trying to change that. Disappointed by the current music scene’s lack of quality song writing, Barrett is heavily influenced by legendary lyricists such as Nick Drake and Bob Dylan. Singing about our “dull, recession-ridden” society, Barrett is singing for his generation; the teens in society that have to deal with the repercussions of our culture. The song ‘(All On) Death Row’ from his demo EP, ‘The Front Bedroom Sessions’, perfectly embodies the voice of the youth – “no incentive to dream, so we all hang about, a generation all on death row”.

With a distinct accent, subtly emotional voice and his song topics, Barrett draws parallels with the hugely popular Jake Bugg. Although from totally different places in the UK, Barrett shares the same passions and opinions of Bugg, which led him to his success. The talent to convey feelings, just with the passion of your voice and an acoustic guitar is a rare thing to have. Many have tried and failed, but with his dedication to excellent song writing, Mark Barrett has the essential element to make it in the music industry.

Elli Brazzill