Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

John Who?

"A lot of people think John-Mark is a singer, not a band," says bassist/singer/songwriter James Coleman, 22. The four members of John-Mark were signed to Maverick Records last May. Three local artists inked major-label deals last year (Reeve Oliver/Capitol, Tristan Prettyman/Virgin), but John-Mark's recruitment to Madonna's label received little publicity.

"There hasn't been any press," says front man and band namesake John-Mark.

"They mentioned [the signing] in [L.A.-based] Music Connection, but other than that, the press was, like, nonexistent," says Coleman.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The band's first album, which is being recorded at NRG Studios in Burbank, will be co-produced by their Maverick A&R rep and by Aaron Kamin, former guitarist/songwriter with the Calling. The disc will be released "sometime in the summer," says John-Mark.

Last month, John-Mark opened for Hoobastank at the Galaxy in Santa Ana. But local gigs are rare.

"It appears pop is not the most appealing style in San Diego," says Coleman. "We get L.A. gigs at the Whiskey, Viper Room, and the Cat Club. But sometimes we feel like we don't fit in in our town." John-Mark's sound can be compared to the pop-rock of Matchbox 20 and Maroon Five. "We play radio-friendly, melody-driven stuff," says John-Mark.

Madonna sold her interest in the label to Warner Bros. in mid-2004, and most of Maverick's operations have been absorbed by Warner Bros. I also note that the Troy sisters, a local act, were signed by Elektra but were dropped before they could release an album.

"This is a volatile business," says Coleman. "We're just happy to play music."

Neither band member would divulge the specifics of their Maverick deal.

"We got everything we needed," says John-Mark. "Bands don't get big advances anymore." He says the signing was guided by Gary Newell, an L.A.-based artist manager who worked with Paula Abdul and Savage Garden. John-Mark says he met Newell through North County band Noise Ratchet (now disbanded, but they once had a deal with Rick Rubin's American Recordings).

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Too $hort & DJ Symphony, Peppermint Beach Club, Holidays at the Zoo

Events December 19-December 21, 2024

"A lot of people think John-Mark is a singer, not a band," says bassist/singer/songwriter James Coleman, 22. The four members of John-Mark were signed to Maverick Records last May. Three local artists inked major-label deals last year (Reeve Oliver/Capitol, Tristan Prettyman/Virgin), but John-Mark's recruitment to Madonna's label received little publicity.

"There hasn't been any press," says front man and band namesake John-Mark.

"They mentioned [the signing] in [L.A.-based] Music Connection, but other than that, the press was, like, nonexistent," says Coleman.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The band's first album, which is being recorded at NRG Studios in Burbank, will be co-produced by their Maverick A&R rep and by Aaron Kamin, former guitarist/songwriter with the Calling. The disc will be released "sometime in the summer," says John-Mark.

Last month, John-Mark opened for Hoobastank at the Galaxy in Santa Ana. But local gigs are rare.

"It appears pop is not the most appealing style in San Diego," says Coleman. "We get L.A. gigs at the Whiskey, Viper Room, and the Cat Club. But sometimes we feel like we don't fit in in our town." John-Mark's sound can be compared to the pop-rock of Matchbox 20 and Maroon Five. "We play radio-friendly, melody-driven stuff," says John-Mark.

Madonna sold her interest in the label to Warner Bros. in mid-2004, and most of Maverick's operations have been absorbed by Warner Bros. I also note that the Troy sisters, a local act, were signed by Elektra but were dropped before they could release an album.

"This is a volatile business," says Coleman. "We're just happy to play music."

Neither band member would divulge the specifics of their Maverick deal.

"We got everything we needed," says John-Mark. "Bands don't get big advances anymore." He says the signing was guided by Gary Newell, an L.A.-based artist manager who worked with Paula Abdul and Savage Garden. John-Mark says he met Newell through North County band Noise Ratchet (now disbanded, but they once had a deal with Rick Rubin's American Recordings).

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Rapper Wax wishes his name looked like an email password

“You gotta be search-engine optimized these days”
Next Article

Mary Catherine Swanson wants every San Diego student going to college

Where busing from Southeast San Diego to University City has led
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader