Mark Eitzel – Whelans – Dublin

A Year in Music – 2018 – Mark Eitzel by Killian Laher

It’s been a while since we’ve been in touch.  What have you been up to?

Ah – I’ve been co-writing a musical theatre piece for the Atlantic Theatre in New York with Simon Stephens called Cornelia Street.  Got a new album written and am doing demos. Digitizing the first 4 American Music Club records for remastering /re-releasing – including all the demos, alt mixes. Rewriting some older songs that I screwed up.

What are your favourite albums of 2018?

Lisa Papineau – Oh Dead On My Love
Big Sir – Digital Garden
Low – Double Negative
Beach House – Depression Cherry (I know it came out in 2016? – but I just heard it this year)
Faure Requiem Op 48
Richard Devine Asect: Dsect (though it’s from 2003)
Simone White – Genuine Fake
Enablers – Blown Realms and Stalled Explosions

Any artists you discovered this year that you can’t be without?

No.

Are there any personal highlights, musical or otherwise from 2018?

I went to Taiwan.  I did 2 workshops in New York on this play of mine.  We got a stray dog.  My house up in Idyllwild didn’t burn in the fire.  I didn’t go to my local Trader Joes the day it was shot up.

What inspires you these days?

The dog, the boyfriend, the friends, the politics.

How about next year, what’s ahead?

Might do a tour, might release a new record, might finish the play, might re-release the old records.