CORY MARKS – AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DYNAMIC COUNTRY ROCKER
Photo Ed Regan
By Ralph Beauchamp
Cory Marks is on a roll. He just released a hard hitting remix of his single “(Make My) Country Rock – Harder” which features Sully from Godsmack, Travis Tritt and Mick Mars. He just finished an awesome acoustic tour with Theory. In addition, his new album, Sorry For Nothing (Better Noise Music), drops early in December. That’s a hell of a run. Canadian born, Marks successful debut record, Who I Am, put the genre bending artist squarely on the country rock map. His hit single, “Outlaws & Outsiders” charted #1 in the US on Billboards “Rock Digital Sales” chart and #5 on iTunes “Country Songs”.
Marks‘ sound is a delicious gumbo of steaming hot country mixed with a searing seasoning of organic rock & roll. His songwriting is top notch and his vocals carry an arena-rock edge. His lyrics are heartfelt and pull no punches. Marks is just at ease with crafting Haggard-like country as well as delivering Pantera style metal. Throw in Eagles’ authentic folk rock spirit and you just get a small portion of what Marks is all about. Cory Marks is a superstar in the making.
Marks was kind enough to sit with AMP for this in-depth interview.
AMP: What first got you into music?
CORY: My family is pretty musical. Dad introduced me early on to bands like Rush and Black Sabbath. I also got to grow up with some great country music icons like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. Even going as far back to Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. My dad played in a band. So did his brother. My mom played a little bit as well.
When we had our big family gatherings, we all would start playing guitars and fiddles. So, being exposed to that at a really young age left an impression. I also had a passion for the drums. I got my first kit at 10. Plus, I tried to get my hands on as many instruments as I could like guitars and basses. And now I’m here.
AMP: Who were some of your early inspirations?
CORY: Rush was a huge influence. Since I started out as a drummer, drummers like Neal Peart, Ian Paice of Deep purple and Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad were influential. On the more progressive side, you have Mike Portnoy and Vinny Paul. Growing up, I remember Merle Haggard whose voice, songwriting and also being a multi-instrumentalist having a pull on me. I do have to shout out one of my heroes who is a fantastic singer and songwriter, Bryan Adams. I also have to mention Ozzy.
AMP: What’s your creative process like?
CORY: Living! Honestly! What I like to write about is my experiences. The nights you don’t remember and your friends have to show you pictures or videoes. Also, hearing from my friends lives. Their heartbreaks, romances and losses effects what i write about. In addition, the ups and downs, good or bad of everyday life gives me all kind of themes to write about.
AMP: You seem to be able to bridge country and rock with a comfortable ease. How would you describe your sound?
CORY: If I could describe it with artists, it would be a little Merle Haggard, a little Eric Church, a little Bryan Adams and a little Ozzy all mixed together. I’ve heard amped up country, country rock and one I think I put in one of my bios, country music with a rock & roll attitude.
AMP: Your remastered single, “(Make My) Country Rock – Harder”, is a real banger. Why did you rework the song?
CORY: The single already rocked but we thought it would be cool to add some fuel to the fire. Beefing up the drums, Sully and Travis’ vocals and Mars’ guitar, created more oomph. Also, adding Cody Quistad’s (Wage War) guitar gave it some flair. We loved that it just came out harder and heavier.
AMP: Discussing once again the merging of country and rock, do you feel this hybrid sound is the wave of the future?
CORY: It’s hard to say. It is for me. I always have rock influences in my songs. It’s neat to see different types of artists and musical genres coming together. But it has to be unique and powerful. Not something that can be easily put in a box. Actually, it’s up to the universe to decide if they’re interested in this hybrid music. It truly is an interesting period in time.
AMP: In today’s music scene, there seems to be a sink or swim mentality. Does that type of realism have any effect on your drive?
CORY: Absolutely! I’m sure there are some people who are always looking for someone to fail. In my case, I don’t think those people realize the size of the oxygen tanks I have on my back. Like i say in one of my songs, “I’m going to keep swinging”. It is always a challenge to move forward. This is still a business and it’s not just playing in bars and just having a good gig anymore .Now you have to worry abouts expenses, travel and the need to chart. It’s getting expensive to survive but at the moment I’m the pilot of my own plane. I’m ready to fly anywhere.
AMP: You’ve collaborated with a bevy of amazing artists. Is there someone you would love to work with in the future?
CORY: There’s a few. I’m old school. Everybody says I have an old soul. Some aren’t even around anymore. On the country side, I would love to work with Zack Top or Brad Paisley. Just because we are both Canadian boys, Chad Kroeger of Nickelback would be a great collab as well as another Canadian, Bryan Adams. Also, Lainey Wilson and Shania Twain would be on the list. After seeing him play live, Eric Church because he’s a country artist that also has a rock & roll attitude.
AMP: Your new album drops in December. How stoked are you?
CORY: I’m so excited. It’s been four years since I released my last record. So, December 6th is going to be a special day. It’s 14 new songs that I’ve worked on and hand picked from about 100 tracks I’ve written since the pandemic. I really hope the world likes them.
AMP: What’s next for Cory Marks?
CORY: Like I said, we release the new album on Dec. 6th. After the current Theory tour, I get to go home approximately a week before the full length drops. I’ll be spending some time with family and friends. Since it’s around the holidays, I’ll hang around with my parents and my dog. Get some Christmas shopping done. In the new year, we are just going to break the chains and go for it. Looks like an extended European tour. Australia after that. Hopefully a huge radio hit followed by a Canadian and US stint.
AMP: We have a bonus question from my wife. When are you going to open a bar in Nashville and have a signature whiskey?
CORY: On the whiskey front, I’ve been thinking about that for awhile. As to a bar, I think I need to get a few more hits. That would certainly help. If it is in Nashville, I would probably do it a little differently. I would like to have it closer to the airport so to tie in music and aviation which I think is a perfect combination. Keep it off the strip. Put it somewhere special and cool. I’ve also been talking about that for years. Maybe not even in Nashville. Maybe Vegas.
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