Meet Mark Nelson, a rock and blues musician from the UK who is taking 2020 on in stride.

After becoming fond of music and forming a love of songwriting at a young age, Mark Nelson knew he was meant to be a musician. And despite being born with only one arm, Nelson found a way to become a master at playing guitar, writing songs, and sharing his talent with the world.

From his time as a guitarist and songwriter in several bands, Nelson stepped out on his own in 2010 to pursue a solo career and front his own project- The Mark Nelson Blues Band. And now, with several albums, singles, and projects under his belt, Nelson has just released his latest single “Lost Love in a Day,” this past July.

And though his live music career is on somewhat of a hold as the Coronavirus pandemic has shut down the industry, we had the chance to chat with Nelson about how he is keeping the music alive in the summer of no shows and what he is doing to keep busy during this never ending year.

You can read our full interview now, below, and be sure to catch up with Nelson and The Mark Nelson Blues Band on social media- linked at the bottom.

Second Society Report: How are you holding up during this insane year that is 2020? Hopefully your friends and families are staying safe and healthy!  

Mark Nelson: It’s been a tough year for everyone, and horrendous for some, but I’m hanging in there and pushing my music as much as possible. I keep my fingers crossed for my family and my friends hoping that they stay well. It’s all about trying to keep positive and keep on going as much as possible, you have to have that to keep yourself on the tracks really.

SSR: Did you have any big releases or tours that were put on hold because of the pandemic? 

MN: There are quite a few summer festivals I was looking forward to playing at but they have all been cancelled due to the pandemic. However, there are one or two which became virtual festivals online and which myself and my blues band (the Mark Nelson blues band) have been a part of – by broadcasting videos that we recorded in isolation from each other at home, which was nice.

SSR: How has that affected the band? (could be personally, financially, morale wise, etc.)  

MN: The pandemic has meant that I haven’t seen my blues boys for a long time now, at least six months, other than via videos we recorded and shared with each other. I miss the interaction of playing live,rehearsing and getting ideas from each other, all of that has gone by the wayside really. I think it affects how you function as a band obviously but for us it’s more personal than financial.

SSR: How have you been spending your newfound “downtime” while the world has been essentially shut down? 

MN: As I am a key worker, working in a care home, I haven’t had any downtime whatsoever whilst the rest of the world has shut down, I’m busy every day on a full-time job which means I don’t get much time to carry out my musical pursuits. However, I haven’t let it stop me pursuing ideas – making videos and writing songs.

SSR: Have you picked up any new hobbies while quarantining that you’d like to share? 

MN: Like I say, I haven’t had much time during the lockdown to acquire new hobbies. However, I have taught myself a few licks on the guitar and I’ve learnt quite a few video editing techniques to help with producing videos so that’s all good.

SSR: Have you worked on any new releases during this time? Any that are already out?

MN: Yes, I have released my first single with Animal Farm Music called “Lost Love in a Day”. It’s an original pop song about the dangers of taking things for granted and not preserving the things you hold dear. I’m very excited to be getting the single out there. It is available on Spotify and other digital streaming sites.

SSR: Have you written any songs specifically about the state of the world right now?

MN:  I do not tend to write songs about the state of the world so much unless it’s to promote love and good feeling. I find that quite a few songs that are written about the state of the world (at times like these) end up a bit too obvious so the message gets lost.  Rather than write directly about what might be happening in the world I prefer to use that mood and emotion and write a slightly different, if similar, story. For instance, the isolation that many have experienced during these times could be compared to the isolation one feels when they find themselves out of love, when someone has left them, or departed. The scariness of being alone and out of love.

SSR: How has it been being an artist in a time when you cannot tour? How have you been working to promote your music and expand your reach? 

MN: Well, I’ve been busy promoting my latest single and trying to get my music out there also making promo videos. Also, I have made videos of myself and my blues band (The Mark Nelson Blues Band) playing along, in isolation from each other, and getting our videos on virtual online festivals which has kept us preoccupied. I’m always busy songwriting and creating so it’s definitely not been a wasted time; in fact, in many ways, I’ve been even more creative, these last six months.

SSR: Do you have any words of advice for fans that are feeling particularly bummed out about the live music world coming to a halt? 

MN: Most musicians are trying to put more music and videos online and have more of an active presence online in the face of not being able to perform live. Fans should check out their favourite artists’ social media links and their websites. It’s a chance for musicians and fans to really maximise the potential of social media to keep in touch and as promotional potential.

SSR: When the world returns to a safer spot and we are able to (hopefully) attend live shows again- say in 2021- what do you hope to achieve?

MN:  I obviously hope to be able to play live more – both solo, and with my blues band, The Mark Nelson Blues Band. I’m also going to check out other local musicians and hopefully see some of my favourite artists performing live once again. It would be truly great to do that once more., I miss live music.

SSR: Is there anything you wish your fans would know about you or about the current state of the music world? 

MN: As well as composing songs and performing I also love creating my own comedy videos, comedy podcasts and I have been writing some novels as well. I just thrive on being creative at all times.

You can connect with Mark Nelson via the below links, and be sure to stream “Lost Love in a Day,” out now.

Spotify / Website / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Documentary featuring Mark: Here