Bio

Mark Tulk

As writer, philosopher and musician, Mark has long been fascinated and drawn to stories that make sense of his own journey as well as opening conduit connections with souls around him. Having survived a Baptist upbringing and his formative years in a Bible-based cult, Mark knows what it is to create meaning and hope from darkness, depression and exile. It is, perhaps, no wonder that his first full length album finds itself located -- both actually and metaphorically -- in the rambling, iconic grounds of Central State Hospital Milledgeville, GA - at one time, the largest "lunatic asylum" on earth.

Of his research into the sad and sordid history of state-run mental asylums in the USA and his native Australia, Mark says:

"As I explored the vast grounds of Central State, it was as if an inmate's long-departed presence reached out to me, commissioning me to speak on his behalf ... to end his silence."

"Today, hospitals understandably want to focus on the positives, not dwell on the much-publicized horror stories of the past. And certainly, asylums did provide sanctuary for many suffering from mental illness. But it's hard to ignore certain facts, like the 25,000 unmarked graves in the cemetery of Milledgeville's Central State Hospital."

"I first visited the site in the summer of 2010. And as I walked the overgrown slopes of the densely wooded graveyard, the air was so charged with electricity, I could barely breathe."

As a piano player and songwriter, Mark has been composing, recording and arranging music for nearly two decades, from soundscapes for theatre productions to his own music -- and of course producing and recording the work of other Artists. He has run the highly successful Sunday Arts Live program on 3WBC in Melbourne, Australia, and is committed to artists being given a voice -- particularly those with a story to tell.

With his wife, fellow artist and business partner of many years, Mark runs high-end recording/mix studio RoomFiftyThree and Small House Records in his current hometown of Athens, GA. With musical and lyrical influences such as Robert Lowell, William Blake, Bob Dylan, David Byrne, John Cale & Nick Drake, Mark's songs create 'sonic landscapes' for the listener to journey through ... to experience a shadowy world of poetry and dreams ... to explore the vagaries and mysteries of life, and what makes us who we are.

Listening to Mark's music is to experience life like the wind off the distant Southern ocean -- it stings, heals and inspires, leaving you with small relics in your pocket to carry home.