#80: Mark Helm

It was the summer of 2007 when I moved to Nashville. Shortly thereafter, I encountered Mark Helm, who is an artist in the truest fashion. His debut solo effort, Everything’s Ok, has influenced my musical tastes and playlists — both on the air and off — more than any other record over the last half-decade.

Today, I sit down with this pioneering artist and chat about Mark’s history, including his solo work, and efforts in other genre-bending bands like Radioblue.

Drawing on his influences, Everything’s Ok takes you on a smooth tour through many genres of music, while remaining rooted in Mark’s special blend of blues-infused power-pop. Echoes of Neil Young, Jeff Tweedy, and many greats are present on this record, which Mark sees as a tribute to those who came before. “I’ve always thought rock ‘n’ roll, RNB, and soul; they’re all about sex, and pop is about love. … From a musical standpoint, I was definitely thinking Neil Young, when I wrote that. I know for a fact… Pretty much from the time I was fifteen until I was thirty-five, I wanted to be Neil Young without the whine. Why would you not want to be so f*cking cool?”