Mark Schwaber - Everything Around Me

To Mark Schwaber, the art of distilling beauty from desolation is a familiar one. The sonic expression of his sincere relationship with darkness binds together the many albums that he has recorded over the last several years. His most recent work, Everything Around Me, continues this journey. Written in the months leading up to and after his mother’s passing, the album captures a devastating epoch in Schwaber’s life.

“I ended up recording everything revolving around the death of my mom. While things aren’t directly relevant at all times with all the songs, I thought that lyrically they lent themselves to the subject matter. The process was at home, it was all alone, it was completely singular, really private…it was dealing with grief.”

The entirety of the record was engineered, performed, and produced by Schwaber in his own home, and indeed what results is a work that feels not unlike a bedroom. Intimate moments pulled from Schwaber’s past surface throughout the album: memories that gained potency during this tragic period in his life. Synths and programmed drums color the songs, a nostalgic nod to an 80’s childhood. Dear friends offer their presences in the form of field recordings, phone messages, a knock on the door, etc. Instrumental interludes allow Schwaber’s lyrics to rest, and invite the listener to experience what cannot be put into words. The result is a lush portrait of grief - a dark and private world brought to light.

Over the past 20 years Schwaber has released over 7 studio albums, including those released under the monikers ‘Hospital’ and ‘Home’. He plays every instrument on his most recent work, Everything Around Me, which was self-engineered and self-produced in his home. In the past, he has worked closely with Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr), Fred Maher (Lou Reed), Joan Wasser, Matthew Sweet, Lloyd Cole, Shadows Fall, and Mary Lou Lord.

Released March 26th, 2021.