MARK MANDEVILLE & RAIANNE RICHARDS

Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards have contributed their first decade to the legacy of American folk and country music, sharing emotively intelligent lyrics, unmistakable vocal harmonies, and a unique blend of instrumentation with audiences throughout the US and Canada. The songs poetically reflect their personal experience as factory workers, teachers, community organizers and natives of postindustrial mill towns in central Massachusetts. Accompanying themselves on guitar, harmonica, ukulele, penny whistle, electric bass, and most uniquely clarinet, their live performance is often punctuated by humorous commentary.

Road May Rise (released April 2020), their third studio album, was recorded at Signature Sounds Studio by Mark Thayer and mixed/mastered at Black Forest Sound Studio by Kyle Swartzwelder. The title track, written by Mandeville for a play performed at the Factory Theater in Chicago, has been awarded Honorable Mention by the Songwriters’ Association of Washington DC (SAW). Studio musicians include Doug Williamson (piano, guitar, mandolin, upright bass), Peter Hart (pedal steel, guitar) and Zack Ciras (upright bass). All songs have been written by Mark and Raianne, except for the spirited cover of Robin and Linda Williams’ Don’t Let Me Come Home A Stranger.

This album follows three eponymous releases on Nobody’s Favorite Records: Hard Times & Woes (2014); Grain By Grain (2016); Home Routes – Live in Manitoba (2018).