Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek (born January 24, 1967, in Massillon, Ohio) is an American mus… Read Full Bio ↴Mark Kozelek (born January 24, 1967, in Massillon, Ohio) is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He is best known as the frontman of both Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters.
Kozelek was born and raised in Massillon, Ohio. Upon relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, he met drummer Anthony Koutsos. After the pair moved once again to San Francisco, California, Red House Painters formed in 1989 with the addition of guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel. From 1992 to 1996, Red House Painters released a series of acclaimed albums, showcasing Kozelek's intense, highly autobiographical songs.
However, Kozelek's parting with the record label 4AD, followed by a major label merger which left Red House Painters' 1998 album Old Ramon on the shelf, proved highly frustrating and stifled the group's momentum. Kozelek opted to occupy himself with a series of idiosyncratic solo recordings as Red House Painters dissolved.
In 2000, he released the solo EP Rock 'n' Roll Singer, which featured three original songs as well as covers of John Denver's "Around and Around" and three AC/DC songs ("Rock 'n' Roll Singer," "Bad Boy Boogie," and "You Ain't Got a Hold on Me"). Two of the AC/DC cover versions on Rock 'n' Roll Singer were radical re-arrangements of the originals which removed the Bon Scott-penned lyrics from their hard rock context and placed them into gentle, acoustic "folk ballad" settings.
Kozelek expanded on this idea in 2001, releasing a full-length album comprised solely of AC/DC covers titled What's Next to the Moon.These new arrangements sounded so unlike the originals that a KCRW radio executive insisted that the title track was a Leonard Cohen song.
This was not the first time Kozelek had drastically re-arranged others' material to his own ends. With Red House Painters, he had previously done similar reconstructions with Simon & Garfunkel's "I Am a Rock," The Cars' "All Mixed Up," Yes's "Long Distance Runaround," Paul McCartney's "Silly Love Songs," and Francis Scott Key's "The Star-Spangled Banner."
In the years between his band projects, Kozelek's music made a number of appearances on compilations and tribute albums. He contributed the song "New Partner" to the Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) tribute album, I Am Cold Rock. I Am Dull Grass Around this time, Kozelek commandeered a tribute album to John Denver, entitled Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver, featuring Will Oldham, The Innocence Mission, and Low to name a few. The compilation also featured Kozelek covering "Around and Around" as a duet with Rachel Goswell.
A limited edition live recording, White Christmas Live, was released by the Sub Pop label in late 2001. In addition to his solo material, it featured several Red House Painters songs done in a stripped-down, acoustic guitar-and-vocals style, and one a cappella rendition. An early version of his current project Sun Kil Moon's "Lily and Parrots" is tacked on to the end as an uncredited bonus track. It also features one previously unreleased song, "Admiral Fell Promises."
Sun Kil Moon debuted with Ghosts of the Great Highway in 2003, and also features former RHP members Jerry Vessel and Anthony Koutsos as well as new collaborators Geoff Stanfield (formerly of Black Lab) and Tim Mooney of American Music Club. Their follow-up effort appeared in 2005 on Kozelek's newly formed label, Caldo Verde Records. Titled Tiny Cities, the album is made up entirely of covers of songs by Modest Mouse. Once again, Kozelek's cover versions varied greatly from the originals.
In 2006, Kozelek was invited by Toronto indie rock label Paper Bag Records to exclusively contribute to their See You on the Moon! Songs for Kids of All Ages compilation with his original song "Leo and Luna." Then in November 2006, Kozelek released a live album titled Little Drummer Boy Live. On the album's two discs, he plays songs from his solo career, covers, and material from the catalogs of both Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon.
Kozelek returned in 2008 with the release of Sun Kil Moon's third album April. The album features 11 brand new recordings, including guest vocal contributions by Ben Gibbard, Will Oldham, and Eric Pollard.
The release of the new album also brought the re-issue of Nights of Passed Over, a 256-page, hard-cover book of all the lyrics to Kozelek's solo songs, Red House Painters' songs, and Sun Kil Moon's songs. It also features setlists, handwritten lyrics, and a preface by Kozelek himself. The original edition of this book was released in 2002 in Portugal, and featured all the lyrics up to that point, printed in both English and Portuguese. The updated edition spans to his current Sun Kil Moon days, and the book also includes a 12-track bonus CD, titled Nights LP, featuring live and rare versions of songs dated 1996 to 2007. The edition is sold exclusively on his label's website link and is limited to 2,500 copies.
On December 9, 2008, Kozelek and Caldo Verde Records issued The Finally LP, a CD collection of 10 unreleased tracks, including covers of songs by Stephen Sondheim, Will Oldham, Hüsker Dü, and Low among others, as well as two previously unreleased instrumentals. Two newly-recorded live albums, Find Me, Ruben Olivares: Live in Spain and Lost Verses Live, followed in spring 2009.
On April 23, 2010, the release of Sun Kil Moon's fourth album, Admiral Fell Promises, was announced. The album was released on July 13, 2010.
A documentary film entitled Mark Kozelek: On Tour was released via Caldo Verde Records on August 16, 2011. The movie was filmed during portions Mark Kozelek's European/North American tours of 2010 and early 2011.
In 2012, an article at Queensberry-Rules.com by staff writer Mark Ortega detailed Kozelek's fascination with the sport of boxing, which inspired the name of his Sun Kil Moon project as well as a few songs on a Desertshore album.
“Their backgrounds are extremely harsh and they work very hard to move up in their careers. I was in attendance at the Manny Pacquiao-Agapito Sanchez fight in San Francisco in 2001. When I heard Sanchez was murdered shortly after, it had a profound effect on me. It hurts when anyone dies young, but when you see the backgrounds of these guys and the path they've taken to try to find some light in their lives, it hurts to see them die young.”
Kozelek was born and raised in Massillon, Ohio. Upon relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, he met drummer Anthony Koutsos. After the pair moved once again to San Francisco, California, Red House Painters formed in 1989 with the addition of guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel. From 1992 to 1996, Red House Painters released a series of acclaimed albums, showcasing Kozelek's intense, highly autobiographical songs.
However, Kozelek's parting with the record label 4AD, followed by a major label merger which left Red House Painters' 1998 album Old Ramon on the shelf, proved highly frustrating and stifled the group's momentum. Kozelek opted to occupy himself with a series of idiosyncratic solo recordings as Red House Painters dissolved.
In 2000, he released the solo EP Rock 'n' Roll Singer, which featured three original songs as well as covers of John Denver's "Around and Around" and three AC/DC songs ("Rock 'n' Roll Singer," "Bad Boy Boogie," and "You Ain't Got a Hold on Me"). Two of the AC/DC cover versions on Rock 'n' Roll Singer were radical re-arrangements of the originals which removed the Bon Scott-penned lyrics from their hard rock context and placed them into gentle, acoustic "folk ballad" settings.
Kozelek expanded on this idea in 2001, releasing a full-length album comprised solely of AC/DC covers titled What's Next to the Moon.These new arrangements sounded so unlike the originals that a KCRW radio executive insisted that the title track was a Leonard Cohen song.
This was not the first time Kozelek had drastically re-arranged others' material to his own ends. With Red House Painters, he had previously done similar reconstructions with Simon & Garfunkel's "I Am a Rock," The Cars' "All Mixed Up," Yes's "Long Distance Runaround," Paul McCartney's "Silly Love Songs," and Francis Scott Key's "The Star-Spangled Banner."
In the years between his band projects, Kozelek's music made a number of appearances on compilations and tribute albums. He contributed the song "New Partner" to the Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) tribute album, I Am Cold Rock. I Am Dull Grass Around this time, Kozelek commandeered a tribute album to John Denver, entitled Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver, featuring Will Oldham, The Innocence Mission, and Low to name a few. The compilation also featured Kozelek covering "Around and Around" as a duet with Rachel Goswell.
A limited edition live recording, White Christmas Live, was released by the Sub Pop label in late 2001. In addition to his solo material, it featured several Red House Painters songs done in a stripped-down, acoustic guitar-and-vocals style, and one a cappella rendition. An early version of his current project Sun Kil Moon's "Lily and Parrots" is tacked on to the end as an uncredited bonus track. It also features one previously unreleased song, "Admiral Fell Promises."
Sun Kil Moon debuted with Ghosts of the Great Highway in 2003, and also features former RHP members Jerry Vessel and Anthony Koutsos as well as new collaborators Geoff Stanfield (formerly of Black Lab) and Tim Mooney of American Music Club. Their follow-up effort appeared in 2005 on Kozelek's newly formed label, Caldo Verde Records. Titled Tiny Cities, the album is made up entirely of covers of songs by Modest Mouse. Once again, Kozelek's cover versions varied greatly from the originals.
In 2006, Kozelek was invited by Toronto indie rock label Paper Bag Records to exclusively contribute to their See You on the Moon! Songs for Kids of All Ages compilation with his original song "Leo and Luna." Then in November 2006, Kozelek released a live album titled Little Drummer Boy Live. On the album's two discs, he plays songs from his solo career, covers, and material from the catalogs of both Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon.
Kozelek returned in 2008 with the release of Sun Kil Moon's third album April. The album features 11 brand new recordings, including guest vocal contributions by Ben Gibbard, Will Oldham, and Eric Pollard.
The release of the new album also brought the re-issue of Nights of Passed Over, a 256-page, hard-cover book of all the lyrics to Kozelek's solo songs, Red House Painters' songs, and Sun Kil Moon's songs. It also features setlists, handwritten lyrics, and a preface by Kozelek himself. The original edition of this book was released in 2002 in Portugal, and featured all the lyrics up to that point, printed in both English and Portuguese. The updated edition spans to his current Sun Kil Moon days, and the book also includes a 12-track bonus CD, titled Nights LP, featuring live and rare versions of songs dated 1996 to 2007. The edition is sold exclusively on his label's website link and is limited to 2,500 copies.
On December 9, 2008, Kozelek and Caldo Verde Records issued The Finally LP, a CD collection of 10 unreleased tracks, including covers of songs by Stephen Sondheim, Will Oldham, Hüsker Dü, and Low among others, as well as two previously unreleased instrumentals. Two newly-recorded live albums, Find Me, Ruben Olivares: Live in Spain and Lost Verses Live, followed in spring 2009.
On April 23, 2010, the release of Sun Kil Moon's fourth album, Admiral Fell Promises, was announced. The album was released on July 13, 2010.
A documentary film entitled Mark Kozelek: On Tour was released via Caldo Verde Records on August 16, 2011. The movie was filmed during portions Mark Kozelek's European/North American tours of 2010 and early 2011.
In 2012, an article at Queensberry-Rules.com by staff writer Mark Ortega detailed Kozelek's fascination with the sport of boxing, which inspired the name of his Sun Kil Moon project as well as a few songs on a Desertshore album.
“Their backgrounds are extremely harsh and they work very hard to move up in their careers. I was in attendance at the Manny Pacquiao-Agapito Sanchez fight in San Francisco in 2001. When I heard Sanchez was murdered shortly after, it had a profound effect on me. It hurts when anyone dies young, but when you see the backgrounds of these guys and the path they've taken to try to find some light in their lives, it hurts to see them die young.”
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Mark Kozelek Lyrics
13 Bad luck wind been blowin' on my back I was born…
Admiral Fell Promises Come out from the burning fire butterfly Let me lock you…
All Mixed Up She shadows me in the mirror She never leaves on…
Around and Around Time, as I've known it Doesn't take much time to pass…
Australian Winter Up through the ashes you rose Leaving her forever purer tha…
Bad Boy Boogie On the day I was born the rain came down And…
Bay Of Skulls Had I known Had I been warned The hawks will hover Buzzards …
Bedtime Lullaby Rest your head it's time for bed Rest your head it's…
Blue Orchids The ancient streets, so crowded and narrow Winding stairs cl…
Bubble I know i don't know you I know that we don't…
Carpet Crawlers He returns from his mixed-up memories to The passage he was…
Carry Me Ohio Sorry that I could never love you back I could never…
Celebrated Summer Love and hate was in the air, like pollen from…
Church Of The Pines Spring, spring.. flowers blossom and bloom. Squirrel, squir…
Cruiser My biggest smile from Tokyo You came out here five…
Down Colorful Hill Out of the box Down colorful hill Wind lifting tired feet Sk…
Dragonflies This is the first you spoke of it In your black…
Duk Koo Kim Looking out on my roof last night Woken up from a…
Evil Sad reminders of What seems years ago Warm southern sun sh…
Finally Finally I find love and contentment I can look at those…
Find Me Ruben Olivares Meet me at Leon near Mexico city Where I remember you…
Float On I backed my car into a cop car the other…
Four Fingered Fisherman You're in the back seat and you say to yourself "Okay,…
Gentle Moon Smile down on us, sun Show your rays when things come…
Get Along Home Cindy You ought to see my Cindy, she lives away down…
Glenn Tipton Cassius Clay was hated more than Sonny Liston Some like KK…
Half Moon Bay The saddest eyes she wore So longing and forlorn That made m…
Harper Road Blackberries ripe on the branches Her skin is burning, she b…
Heron Blue Don't cry, my love, don't cry no more A crashing sky,…
I it's criminal there ought to be a law criminal it ought to b…
If You Want Blood It's criminal There ought to be a law Criminal It ought t…
Indian Summer I love you The best Better than all The rest I love you The…
Katy Song Some escape, some door to open This path seems the blackest…
Katy Song (live in Italy) Some escape, some door to open This path seems the blackest …
Lazy It's not enough There's not enough for two Sarah you're la…
Leo And Luna slipping around a shiny wooden floor tearing up curtains an…
Like The River We floated downstream like swans in the sun Surrounded by fr…
Little Drummer Boy Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum Our newborn King…
Lost Verses I came out from under her warm sheets Into the brisk…
Love At First Feel I didn't know where you came from And I didn't know…
Love Hungry Man You're the one I waited for I needed love more and…
Lucky Man Woken up, those New York mornings, shivering bones Thinking …
Metropol 47 Flash your smile and face at me Open your eyes wide…
Michigan I see through your thin cotton dress I don't know…
mistress The light color in the room The sunshine seeping in Doesn'…
Moorestown Her window looked on North Church Street An attic space ove…
New Partner There's a black tinted sunset with the prettiest of skies L…
Onward Contained in everything I do There's a love I feel for…
Riff Raff You see it on tv every day Hear it on the…
river I know you're willing and able There by the wooden…
Rock 'n' Roll Singer momma stayed home with me by the time i was half…
Rock N Roll Singer my daddy worked from nine to five momma stayed home with…
Ruth Marie I grew so old in that house I lived in They…
Salvador Sanchez Salvador Sanchez Arrived and vanished Only twenty-three wi…
San Geronimo somewhere up fifteen miles sifting through crackling vinyl l…
Send in the Clowns Isn't it rich? Are we a pair? Me here at last…
Shadows the coarse and white colored skin it blends with the state…
Summer Dress Summer dress makes you more beautiful than the rest Lovliest…
The Leaning Tree Scattered relics of your love Just lyin 'round your dusty…
Things Mean a Lot A descending climb. My feet can't make the hill To the…
Third And Seneca In my room at Third and Seneca See the pigeons peck…
Tonight In Bilbao I walked the old eroded streets A million miles now have…
Trailways How have you been Caroline? Living ok? Home in PA. See how t…
trucker's atlas I'm going to Colorado To unload my head I'm going to New…
Unlit Hallway Walking down the unlit hallway of life, there's hope I…
Up To My Neck In You Up to my neck in trouble Up to my neck in…
Void Find another corner of the house When you need to…
Void (live in Sweden) Find another corner of the house When you need to get…
Walk All Over You Look out baby I'm runnin' high Take a chance with me…
What's Next To The Moon Tied my baby to the railroad track Train rolling down the…
White Christmas I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I…
You Ain't Got A Hold On Me You can roll me round your finger You can roll me…
You Ain't Got A Hold On Me (Mi You can roll me round your finger You can roll me…
You Are My Sun You are my light Dark cities, you fill the loss Of the…
You Missed My Heart I broke into her house, saw her sittin′ there Drinking coke…