To commemorate the unofficial mid-point of summer, Mark Mackay – the Nashville-based country artist – released “Summer Slowdown,” a song about how the season is flying by. In the song, out today (July 15), Mark realizes that his summer romance has an expiration date that’s coming up fast. “June just turned into July / Then July flew by / I don’t want ‘good-bye’ / messing it all up,” he sings before asking, “what’s the rush? / I’ve waited long enough.” Mark says he’s not ready to watch his summer fling’s Chevy ride away and hopes that Summer can last into September, October, and beyond.
“Summer Slowdown” is poised to be a country fan’s song of the summer. Penned by Jeffrey Steele, Neil Thrasher, and Wendell Lee Mobley, the song is a slice of pure country goodness, mixed in with a blistering southern rock guitar solo perfect for late night parties out on the rooftop or in the back of a flatbed truck. “ ‘Summer Slowdown’ is everything I love about a great song,” says Mark about the track. “It has great energy, big guitars, and I love songs about that hopeless love feeling… the person heading off after a great summer together. When I first heard it, I could visualize what it looked like in an area coming to life, live on stage.”
Mark knows a thing or two about summer. The California native spent his early years in the Golden State, learning blues and rock guitar at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. When an artist needed a guitarist of his caliber for an emergency session in Nashville, it was like he found his place in the world. “I got out of a cab after midnight near lower Broadway and thought, ‘I have to live here.’ What drew me was the vibe of creativity, and music everywhere,” he said in his official bio.
He moved to Music City in 2018 and got to work. As a classically trained pianist, Mark’s skills have appeared in television and radio appearances, along with his ability to sling a mean six-strings. Though the COVID-19 pandemic may have interrupted his performance schedule, he kept busy during lockdown by releasing “Walk You Home” and the Long Wild Road EP in 2020. In 2021, he released the Leaving California EP, showcasing more of his songwriting talent. With “Summer Slowdown,” Mark proves that the sun hasn’t set on his momentum: he’s just getting started.