Mark Edward Kozelek is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and musician hailing from America. Known for his captivating vocals and heartfelt lyrics, he has made a name for himself as the frontman of indie-folk act Sun Kil Moon and as a founding member of the indie rock band Red House Painters. With an impressive discography spanning over three decades, Kozelek has released numerous studio albums and collaborations, showcasing his immense talent and versatility. In addition to his musical pursuits, he has also dabbled in acting and directing, further highlighting his creative prowess. Born and raised in Ohio, Kozelek’s passion for music ignited at a young age, propelling him towards a successful and influential career in the industry.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Mark Edward Kozelek
- Age: 56 Years, 56 Year Old Males
- Born Country: United States
- Rock Singers
- Record Producers
- U.S. State: Ohio
Childhood & Early Life
Mark Kozelek was born on January 24, 1967, in Massillon, Ohio, USA. He has a sister. At some point, his parents divorced. According to Kozelek, his family leads a “very, very simple life”. One of his childhood friends’ name is Richie; he was incarcerated for a while. Kozelek attended Washington High School.
Music Career
At some point, Mark Kozelek relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where he met Anthony Koutsos, a drummer. They then relocated to San Francisco, California, where the pair met guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel. In 1988, Red House Painters was formed. Initially, the group was active in the San Francisco scene and put out several demos. Guitarist Phil Carney later replaced Mack.
Their first studio album, ‘Down Colorful Hill’, was released in September 1992. In the next two and a half years, they put out three studio albums: ‘Red House Painters aka Rollercoaster’ (1993), ‘Red House Painters aka Bridge’ (1993), and ‘Ocean Beach’ (1995). These albums contained Kozelek’s intense, highly autobiographical songs and received positive responses from the media.
Red House Painters released their first and only extended play, ‘Shock Me EP’, in February 1994. They have also put out two more studio albums, ‘Song for a Blue Guitar’ (1996) and ‘Old Ramon’ (2001).
During this period, Kozelek started exploring his curiosity involving the 1970s classic rock music. In 2001, he released his first solo album, ‘What’s Next to the Moon’. In the same year, Red House Painters dissolved. However, Kozelek, Koutsos, Vessel, and Carney continued to work together and create music.
As a solo artist, Kozelek has put out ten more albums, including ‘Like Rats’ (2013), ‘Perils from the Sea’ (2013), ‘Mark Kozelek & Desertshore’ (2013), ‘Mark Kozelek Sings Christmas Carols’ (2014), ‘Dreams of Childhood’ (2015), ‘Mark Kozelek Sings Favorites’ (2016), ‘Yellow Kitchen’ (2017), ‘Mark Kozelek with Ben Boye and Jim White’ (2017), and ‘Mark Kozelek’ (2018). He has also released the EPs ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer’ (2000), ‘Down in the Willow Garden’ (2015), and ‘Night Talks’ (2017).
Kozelek’s second band, Sun Kil Moon, was a continuation of the first one. He formed it with his old bandmates Koutsos and Vessel, alongside Geoff Stanfield and Tim Mooney. They released their first album, ‘Ghosts of the Great Highway’, in 2003.
Since 2005, Sun Kil Moon has released nine more albums to date: ‘Tiny Cities’ (2005), ‘April’ (2008), ‘Admiral Fell Promises’ (2010), ‘Among the Leaves’ (2012), ‘Benji’ (2014), ‘Universal Themes’ (2015), ‘Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood’ (2017), ‘This Is My Dinner’ (2018) and ‘I Also Want to Die in New Orleans’ (2019). They have also put out two collaborations with Jesu: ‘Jesu/Sun Kil Moon’ (2016) and ‘30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth’ (2017).
With no other permanent member left in the group, Sun Kil Moon now serves as a primary recording moniker for Kozelek. A lifelong fan of boxing, Kozelek not only named the group after a deceased Korean boxer, but he has also written several songs on the sport as well, including ‘Duk Koo Kim’ (on another deceased Korean boxer).
Other Ventures
Mark Kozelek made his acting debut opposite Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, and Kate Hudson in writer-director Cameron Crowe’s adventure comedy-drama ‘Almost Famous’ in 2000, portraying Larry Fellows. His next film was another directorial venture by Cameron Crowe, the 2001 romantic mystery fantasy ‘Vanilla Sky’, in which he shared the screen space with Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz.
Kozelek has also acted in the 2005 romance drama ‘Shopgirl’ and the 2015 musical comedy ‘Youth’. Kozelek made a documentary on his European tour, titled ‘On Tour’. It was released in 2011. He has also served as a composer on the 2001 comedy-drama ‘Last Ball’ and the 2018 drama ‘The Pretenders’.
Family & Personal Life
Throughout his career, Mark Kozelek has garnered a certain amount of notoriety for his behaviour with his fans, music critics, and other musicians. Several of his fans have spoken out about it, with some saying that it is long past time to hold him accountable for his actions.