The Sheffield Scenester

Mark Nichols – The Storm/Birdsong

Mark Nichols is a very talented singer/ songwriter, who has spent the last few years developing his style of calming acoustic melodies with lyrics inspired by his experiences of travel and things he has seen. 2011 has been a fairly prominent year for Mark, as it saw the release of his debut EP, “Guardian”, in April and he followed this with support slots for quite a few international artists, as well as embarking on two national tours of the UK. He has had regular airplay from the BBC Introducing stations and has played numerous live gigs in Sheffield, Devon and Cornwall. January 9th 2012 saw the release of his new single “The Storm,” which is set to get Mark into bigger and brighter things…

“The Storm” begins with a delicate acoustic melody before we hear Mark’s beautiful, heartfelt lyrics as an observer of a lonely woman who believes she has nothing until she meets a man who saves her from a storm. The skilful imagery of the characters tells a really clever story and I like how the story ends where it begins, with the lyrics “she spends her days by the lifeguard tower staring at these waves.” It creates the impression of a longing for something and the emotive lyrics compliment the folky sound really well to give a calming, ambient feel.

The B-side to this track is “Birdsong,” which is, again, quite calm and soothing. It is another atmospheric track conjuring up images of morning light, birds singing and friends feeling close to each other.

Words by Shirley Bell