Family, Friends & Music - Mark Currey's 'Only Sky' Record Release Show Filled with Love

by Julian Spivey

Julian Spivey Photo

It was evident all Wednesday evening (November 5) at the White Water Tavern in Little Rock, Ark., that everyone in attendance for Mark Currey’s Only Sky record release show, from those on stage to those in the audience, was having a helluva good time.

Currey, a singer-songwriter originally from Fort Worth, Texas, who now calls Little Rock home, recorded Only Sky, a six-song EP, at Fellowship Hall Sound in Little Rock with producer Jason Weinheimer earlier this year. The EP was the result of a crowdfunding campaign, and Currey thanked many of those in attendance on Wednesday for taking part. I should say now that I pitched in a few bucks toward the effort myself – so, yeah, I kind of dig what Currey has going on.

The entire show had a friends-and-family feel, which added to the venue's magical ambiance, and I got the sense it was truly a special night for Currey.

All six of the tracks on Only Sky were featured on Wednesday night, along with much of Currey’s debut album, Tarrant County, which was released in 2017.

Currey’s band for the evening consisted of local musicians with whom he had performed in bands over the years: Daniel Schoultz on bass, Matt Stone on guitar, Tommy Priakos on keys and David Bishop on drums. All performed terrifically and truly showcased what great musicians can do in such a short time. As Bishop told me afterward, there had only been two rehearsals prior to the show.  

Two sets of talented backing vocalists also joined Currey throughout the show: The Delta Soul Singers (Crystal Hayes, Michael Dotson, and Kenbria Robinson) and his daughter, Eleanor Currey.

The Delta Soul Singers appear on a couple of tracks on Only Sky: “Saving Grace” and “Too Much,” and were live in person with Currey for those numbers and a few others on Wednesday night. Eleanor joined Currey for pretty much every other song during the evening.

Currey, a multiple-time Arkansas Country Music Awards nominee, opened the evening’s set with “Saving Grace,” a nice rocker from the EP about all the things one could want, but most importantly, the one thing he needs, “his saving grace.” In the liner notes for the EP, he refers to his wife, Kim, as his “Saving Grace.”

“Too Much,” which Currey told the crowd kind of began as a “sad bastard” song before a Nashville songwriter friend of his gave him some advice, which turned it into a more up-tempo number. The song does a great job of getting into the head of someone who's too often in their own head, exploring the insecurities we all face in life.

Having spent some time with Only Sky, one of my favorite tracks has certainly been “You and Birmingham,” which sounds like it could’ve been released at any time period, with its classic theme of faltering relationships and a killer chorus. On the EP, Currey and Jaimee Harris harmonize beautifully, but it was a real treat seeing father and daughter duet on the number at the live show.

As with any true songwriter, Currey isn’t afraid to get deep and open with his songs, as we see in “Looked For God,” in which he ponders whether or not questions are more important than answers when it comes to topics such as religion and the afterlife.

“Madeline” is likely the most personal track on Only Sky, with its inspiration coming from finding a photograph of his father and his father’s new wife when he was a teenager in Fort Worth, with an emotional inscription written on the back about not being able to get over his previous wife, Currey’s mother. It was such an incredible moment seeing the songwriter get that personal and emotional – baring his soul – in front of the audience.

I’ve been listening to Only Sky since its streaming debut in September. But I had never had the opportunity to familiarize myself with his debut album, Tarrant County. So, Wednesday’s show was the first time (or maybe the second – I did see Currey open for Robert Earl Keen in 2019) performing some of these songs. That album, which has a primary theme of leaving home, is just as impressive as the newest release. Currey performed six of that album’s 11 tracks on Wednesday night, including the title track, a fun number called “Mid-Life Crisis” and “Come Sunday Morning,” which he recorded with Bonnie Montgomery, but performed at the White Water Tavern with his songwriter friend Abbye West Pates, who came in from Memphis to open the show.

Pates performed a handful of her own songs, like the impressive “To Be Well” and “Stairs,” and was joined on stage by Currey for her song “Sad Woman, Sad Man.” Pates also did a fun cover of the Cyndi Lauper classic “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”

And speaking to the friends-and-family vibe of the show, another great moment – one that seemed especially big to Currey – came when his dear friend and former bandmate, Nathaniel Greer, joined the group on stage for the encore, playing guitar.

Currey finished his set at the White Water Tavern with a song that I hope becomes his set closer for many years to come, “Talking Hindu Monkey Blues, Approximately,” which ends Only Sky. Musically, the song doesn’t really have anything in common with the rest of the EP, but when you have a story song – and one that’s mostly true (about 98 percent, according to Currey) – this strong, you don’t pass up the chance to get it out there. It’s the tale of his father, who once worked in Indonesia, and a run-in he had with the local wildlife. I won’t say anymore, so as not to spoil it, but it does end with a great sing-along chorus, which is exactly how a show like Wednesday’s should end.  

Currey has one upcoming show on his calendar – at Moody Brews in Little Rock, Ark., on Sunday, November 9 at 5 p.m. Keep an eye on markcurrey.com or his socials (Facebook and Instagram) for future shows as they pop up.

I recommend buying Only Sky on CD from his website; it’s the best way to ensure the money ends up in an artist’s pocket, but it's also available for streaming on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and other platforms if that’s your only way to listen to new music.

If you would like to hear Currey’s own words on the creation of Only Sky, be sure to check out the episode of The Word on Pop Culture podcast he did with us in September.