Mark, it's been years since the split of Atheneaum,
what have you been doing since then?
I've been busy being a father and husband. Musically I've been playing the occasional
Athenaeum reunion show, playing acoustic shows with Mike Garrigan and writing songs.
What's changed over the years since we last heard from
you?
Well being a parent has altered the trajectory of my life quite a bit! Other than
that I'm still the same guy I guess. I still love creating music.
Why did you finally decide to branch out and release
a solo CD Instead of using the Athenaeum name... or even form another band?
I had been deliberating over this for sometime. I think playing with Mike Garrigan
and seeing him release his own records somehow pushed me to record my own. I like the singer/songwriter circuit where you
can make a record and then go out and tour behind it on your own. There's something rather freeing about being a solo artist
that suits me at the moment. Athenaeum had changed quite a bit over the years in the personnel department and I became rather
confused about my feelings towards continuing the band name.
Are you the only member of the band so far? Who played
the instruments on the CD, and who will you be playing with live?
Well Mike Garrigan will be with me for many of the show that I play. Nic Brown
and Snuzz have expressed interest in playing but for now it's mostly me and Mike G.
How long have you been working on the songs that are
on Walking On Broadway? And which one is your favorite, and why?
The songs were written over an eight year period with "Mr. Dog Catcher" and "Sad
Songs" being the oldest. I tried to choose songs that reminded me of earlier Athenaeum work. The last Athenaeum record was
pretty dark for me and I wanted to lighten up a bit. I could never have a favorite song but I'm pretty proud of the closer,
"Baby I’m Your Man". It's a very different kind of song for me and is also very lyrically specific, whereas some of
my lyrics can be rather abstract.
Who or what influences you now?
You know I haven't been listening to a lot of other music these days since I've
been so focused over the last year with my own record. I think the last record I bought was the latest Rufus Wainwright album.
I also think Snow Patrol and Kings of Leon are quite good.
Where and how can people get their hands on the new
CD? How much will it cost? Will it be an actual CD, or just a download?
Right now you can order the cd through a link at my website, www.markkano.com . Soon I'll have a page set up for direct downloads, and itunes is coming as well. Right now physical copies are being ordered
though www.CDFreedom.com.
