Main Bio

Born and raised in the small town of Birnamwood, Wisconsin, Mark Harrod knew all along that he was born a musician. Throughout his early years, Mark demonstrated musical talent and a natural inclination for composition, picking up songs by ear and then replicating the notes on a mini keyboard that his parents gave him.

Mark's thirst for music led him to skip lunches during high school, where he would sneak into the chorus and band room to play the piano. This middle and high school disposition allowed him to learn how to play several instruments including the clarinet, saxophone, piano and acoustic guitar. However, when Mark left for college, music was not a focus.

As a mathematics graduate from the University of Wisconsin, Mark relocated to Chicago in 2000 to pursue a career in the financial district. Harrod was an actuary - a statistician of sorts who calculates probabilities for companies. In this line of work, Mark focused on precision, logic and practicality. Later that year, 19 days before his 25th birthday, a risky sailor dive from the shore of Lake Michigan left him unconscious. He dove too shallow and hit his head violently on the sand floor of the lake. With a fractured vertebra in his neck (C2 - the Hangman's vertebrae), Mark was trapped for four months in a metal halo. The injury slowed him down and provided a new perspective on life. Willing to give his passion for music a chance, Mark quit his job in Chicago and relocated to the Kenosha/Racine area, where he helped form a band named Copper.

Soon thereafter, Mark started a new band named The MAHP (The Mark Allen Harrod Project). Playing the Midwest for almost five years at music festivals such as Summerfest, Bastille Days and Harborfest, Mark invested significant time and resources in the band. In addition, his new career in banking became a competing priority. After having played hundreds of shows with his band, Mark learned the idiosyncrasy of the music business and the challenges of playing in a band. Somewhere between the crossroads of an ever-growing list of music commitments and a thriving career in banking, Mark let his passion for music take over once again. By the end of 2006, The MAHP disbanded, and Mark became a full time solo artist.

Today, Mark's motto is, "do the things you love, no matter the cost. We all define success differently, so don't let the world define it for you." He writes from autobiographical experiences that include failed relationships and heartache, but his music and lyrics still shed a hopeful light on love. As Mark reminds himself "the heartache is never permanent," his music has been and continues to be an emotional outlet for his and all of our lives.