Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Mark Shiiba, 29, Swarthmore, Pa., “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan: Mark started on harmonica, then showed off a unique singing voice in the singer-songwriter vein. Surprisingly, he gets all the way to the end of the song without a chair turn. Gwen says he has a great character voice. Michael loves the character in his voice too. So much that he pushes the coach replay button, giving Mark a spot on the show. Michael said he knew he made a mistake by not turning because Mark’s one of the most unique singers they’ve heard this season.

Here’s more about Mark:

* He’s a singer-songwriter who released an impressive debut album “Bones” earlier this year. The album features 10 songs, including the title track and featuring Mark’s unique and earnest vocals. Be sure to check out “Into the Dark” from that collection.

* In an interview with Shout Out SoCal (Southern California), Mark says he discovered his love for songwriting in high school, but never considered music “a viable career path.”

* So after high school, he attended the Naval Academy. He’d been recruited to play soccer there and graduated in 2017.

* That led to a post in San Diego as a nuclear surface warfare officer. On Instagram, Mark writes that he spent two years working on nuclear reactors on an aircraft carrier.

* While serving in the Navy, he says he always found time for music. He began releasing singles in 2020 and dropped a six-song EP called “Sunny Days” the next year.

* Then, on June 1, 2023, after six years in the Navy, he decided to pursue his dream of being a full-time singer-songwriter.

* “If you were made to sing, sing wherever you are,” he writes on Instagram. “I’ve spent the last 10 years writing songs and singing because, well, it’s something I can’t not do.”

* In the Shout Out interview, Mark says the birth of his debut album came in 2022 when he met songwriter and producer Daniel Rodriguez, who was touring the West Coast with The Lumineers.

* They met at a backyard concert in San Diego. Mark played his song “Bones.” They became friends. Daniel wound up producing Mark’s debut album.

* The first of the album’s lead singles is a song called “Walking.” In conjunction with its release, Mark embarked on a 90-mile walking tour of the California coast, playing music along the way. He posted the first part of a documentary about that experience to YouTube on Saturday.

* Says Mark: “There’s always ways to make life adventurous. Just need a little creativity and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone.” You can check out a live performance of “Walking” below.

Mark on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
YouTube