New Madrid was formed in the fall of 2007 from the reminants of the band Ben Stokes and Slow Dance Regret . Led by Singer/Songwriter Ben Stokes and lead guitarist Barry Mork, New Madrid’s sound can be best described as a mixture of indie rock and americana.
Ben Stokes grew up in the SLC scene listening to Fugazi, Minor Threat, Judge, Seam, Codeine, Iceburn but later grew into influences such as Whiskeytown, SonVolt, and Steve Earle.
Barry's early influences were fusion greats John McLaughlin and Steve Morse and prog-rockicons like Yes, Eric Johnson and King Crimson. His pallete continues to expand to includethe Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois and manyother. "I'm always looking for new sounds and new ways to bring a mood to the listener"
All of these influences and others can still be heard throughout New Madrid's sound and writing style. It's always a good idea to stay close to one's roots. The intimate relationship an artist has with his roots keeps the sound honest. But the alchemy that occurs when combining these sounds in a new and different way makes New Madrid’s sound distinctively their own.
We hope the strong vocal melodies and heartfelt lyrics cause you to easily connect to the stories being told, and more importantly relate the songs to your own life experiences andhardships. New Madrid's songs read like an open highway, and what you get out of themis really up to you. May your journey on that highway show you something new and meaningful.We hope you find a way to connect with our music.
Thanks for listening!
