Australian Troubadour Mark Wilkinson Unveils His Moving New EP ‘Mariposa’

Today, renowned Australian troubadour Mark Wilkinson unveils his moving new EP Mariposa via Nettwerk. The five-song effort is a powerful and emotive embrace of change as Mark grapples with his evolution as a father. Mark’s vocal prowess is truly special as he takes listeners through his highs and lows with effortless grace. Listen to Mariposa on all digital retailers (here).

Mark explains: “Mariposa, the Spanish word for butterfly, encapsulates that sense of transformation that I wanted to convey through these songs…The world around us is constantly changing and on reflection, I realised a lot of my more recent songwriting was focused on how to respond and adapt to that change. Beyond the questioning though, I wanted the overarching feeling from this EP to be one of strength, growth, and resolve.”

On the title track song, there is an urgency around the concept of revolution, perfectly circulating around a driving acoustic guitar line. Mark’s gentle songwriting style and vocal tonality sit in the same vein as contemporaries such as Harrison Storm, James Vincent McMorrow, & Jack Savoretti.

Listen & Share “Mariposa” Here:
https://youtu.be/4W9XxB6rm3M

ABOUT MARK WILKINSON:

Intimacy reinforces connection. Akin to trapping a butterfly, Mark Wilkinson bottles the most intimate moments of his life within the quiet space between delicate piano, soft strings, gentle guitar, and eloquent lyricism. In his songs, the Sydney-based singer and songwriter allows listeners to get as close as possible to him— almost as if he’s speaking directly to them through his dynamic delivery and soulful timbre. He shares relatable stories of change, life, and love. After tallying tens of millions of streams and building an international fan base, he gets closer than ever on his 2022 debut EP for Nettwerk Music Group, Mariposa.

Playing piano and cello as a kid, Mark picked up a guitar in college and never put it down. He busked on three different continents and unveiled music of his own at a prolific pace. Following his 2011 full-length debut Truth Came Running, he gained international momentum with independent LPs such as Let The River Run [2013], Hand Picked, Vol. 2 [2015], Wasted Hours [2018], and Blue Eyed Girls [2019] to name a few. Christened SiriusXM’s “Discovery of the Year” upon his U.S. introduction in 2013, he has also impressively moved over 80,000 units and counting in addition to scaling the Australian Independent Charts at #1. Meanwhile, he lit up streaming platforms with the likes of “I’m On Fire” [Conki Remix], generating almost 30 million Spotify streams.

Over the past few years, he assembled what would become Mariposa with producer Peter Holz [Gang of Youths, Peking Duk, Vance Joy] behind the board and mixing courtesy of Logan Matheny [Sam Hunt, Judah & The Lion]. He filtered a series of major life changes and big questions into the songwriting.

The opener and first single “Belong” pairs his evocative vocals with sparse piano and terse strings. The words echo in a conversational flow as he declares, “My home’s here, my joy and my tears, don’t tell me that I don’t belong here.” Tremors of feeling reverberate through “Earthquake,” which details “the excitement of becoming a father for the first time and recognizing all of this responsibility you now have for another person.”

Then, there’s the upbeat “Grafton St” where a glitchy beat bounces punctuated by acoustic guitar. It nods to his days busking on Grafton Street in Dublin, capturing the locale’s hustle and bustle in the production.

In the end, Mark connects like never before with Mariposa.

“When you listen to these tracks, I’d love it if the EP taps into something meaningful in your life,” he leaves off. “I’m showing everyone what I go through, and I’d love it if the music connects and affects you positively.”

Track List:
1. Belong
2. Paradise
3. Grafton St
4. Earthquake
5. Mariposa