Ryan Mark working on sixth album
Published:Sunday | April 10, 2022 | 12:07 AMSade Gardner# - Staff Reporter
On a day like today, Ryan Mark is using his voice to preach God’s word at his Pure in Heart Ministries in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew. But when this interview was held last Thursday, he was hours away from heading to the first studio session for his sixth album to deliver God’s word beyond the pulpit.
He rose to prominence in the early 2000s, part of the wave of millennial gospel artistes whose hardcore style softened hearts for Christ. But for almost eight years, he has been more focused on his pastoral role, releasing his last album, Your Grace, four years ago. As he speaks of his upcoming project, the Right With You singer admits that it is “not something I necessarily want to do” but instead, something that God is calling him for.
“I feel like the spirit of God is saying to me ‘get this project done’,” Mark told The Sunday Gleaner. “The last time I felt this impression was when he was telling me to start the church, so this is how I know when God is speaking to me because it’s not something I necessarily want to do.”
He explained further: “There’s not a great return from gospel music, so you’ll find yourself spending a lot of money that you’re not really getting back and as an older person, I’m not really in that business… I’m just doing this out of sheer obedience of the spirit of God, so it’s more than the money. If the songs can come out and heal and transform some lives at the end of the day, it would have been worth it.”
But there’s no separating Mark from music. About three weeks ago, he released a six-track EP, titled King Project, which serves up his hardcore style, the opposite of which will be on the forthcoming album. Beyond doing more singing, Mark gives a synopsis of what to expect of the upcoming album: “The rhythm choices will be more acoustic and reggae, maybe one and two fusion, but I’m going for something more vintage, something more international.”
CHAPTER 37
As he steps into this new space of creating music, he is also intent on being the best version of himself. He turned 37 last month and shares that he wants to use this chapter and beyond to better serve people.
“Sometimes becoming the best version of yourself is to take the focus off yourself,” he said. “I think I’m learning now, more than ever, how to be of help and assistance to others more than anything else because sometimes that’s where the growth comes, that’s how you become a better person…
“My heart right now is just really to help people and that may be on a financial level, spiritual level, emotional level, but when you all sum it up, I just want to become a better servant because everything else will fade away… You can have the house and the car but when you’re gone, you’re gone. What impact will you have left on people’s hearts and on the world? That’s it for me.”
Being a true minister, he left a few words for readers.
“Despite what we see happening around the world and in our country, God is still God. I want people to know that cause I think when we see so much evil and stuff, people are wondering where is God, but God is there. God is not the problem; it is us and what we choose to do and we must always remember that there is no middle ground: it’s good or evil, light or darkness, the destination is heaven or hell, so I just want people to keep that in mind.”