Biography

Ask the fans of Mark DeRose's music what it is that keeps them coming out to his shows and you will find a common tie that unites them: sincerity. "There is an honesty to Mark's work that is so easy to connect with. Whether it be his solid and intelligent lyrics or the intensity with which he pours himself into his live shows, the listener can easily relate to the emotions expressed in his songs."

As a singer/songwriter and an instrumentalist on piano and guitar, the multi-talented Mark DeRose blends introspective lyrics with heartfelt acoustic rock. Influenced by musical greats like James Taylor, Bruce Hornsby and Dave Matthews, DeRose brings a distinctive sound that has been challenging listeners and entertaining high energy crowds for nearly a decade.

Patrick Kirchner of The Fly describes this engaging music as "thoughtful and provocative, laden with metaphors of hope and celebration for life - the stuff that makes feel good music feel so good."

As the singer/songwriter and front man of the original roots rock group, the Ernest Goodlife Band, DeRose spent '02 through '06 performing throughout the greater Mid-Atlantic Region. Performing at a range of venues from coffee shops to clubs, private parties to festivals, high schools to colleges, Ernest Goodlife grew a fan base hungry for great music and great times.

On the heels of the band's split in September '06, DeRose carried the building enthusiasm into his solo career. After a long winter and spring of recording and tweaking 13 new tracks, "Tales from the Sandcastle Kingdom" was finally released in August of '07. DeRose celebrated his brand new solo album with a CD Release Party that attracted 276 attendees and sold more than 100 CDs.

In just three months working as a solo act in the college music market, DeRose has booked an impressive amount of shows with hopes of adding more to the 2008 calendar. Other recent achievements include his original song "Satisfied," selected to appear on two separate compilation CDs: "Millennium Music Conference 12 Compilation CD", featuring the original music of select showcasing artists and Quickstar Productions "Chill Out", featuring some of the best up-and-coming acoustic artists from the greater Baltimore/DC area.

DeRose has already performed at many colleges in the Mid-Atlantic area including Bucknell University, University of Delaware, the University of Pennsylvania, Salisbury University and Penn State University. Always feeling right at home on a summer festival stage, he has played the Central PA Arts Fest, Musikfest, Harrisburg Patriot News Arts Fest, Mayfair Music Fest in Allentown and the West Chester Turk's Head Music Fest. Most notably, he has opened for Blues Traveler, the Sugar Hill Gang, Josh Kelley, The Earthtones, 10 Mile Tide, New Found Glory and John Eddie.

DeRose is open to the new opportunities ahead, exclaiming, "I love playing live music! It is my hope to share that experience with as many people as possible."