Mark Olson, Americana songwriter and co-founder of The Jayhawks, plays the Sunflower Public House with his new album 'Spokeswoman of the Bright Sky'.
Mark Olson plays Sunflower Public House on Sunday 25 October, part of his tour for the new album, Spokeswoman of the Bright Sky. It's a solo bill, so it's just him on stage.
If the name doesn't ring a bell, you'll likely know the band he co-founded: The Jayhawks. They were one of the acts that helped blend post-punk with 'new' country into what's now called Americana, and Olson was a key part of that sound. Later on, he formed the Original Harmony Creekdippers, who put out albums like My Own Jo Ellen and Mystic Theatre. His lo-fi approach from that period is often cited as an influence on a whole generation of songwriters, including Iron and Wine and Bon Iver.
After a three-year break, he's back with Spokeswoman of the Bright Sky, which he wrote and recorded at home in Joshua Tree, California, with his wife and musical collaborator Ingunn Ringvold. The record opens with 'Dear Elisabeth', moves into the alt.country-paced 'Time of Love', and builds to the epic title track. The sound is built around gently strummed guitars, dulcimer, bass and mellotron. Before this, he released Magdalen Accepts the Invitation in 2020, which got reviewed by Uncut, and the song 'Silent Mary'.
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It's a Sunday afternoon show, starting at 3:00 PM at Sunflower Public House in Belfast.
