Mark Houser & Bluegrass Drive - Americanaville (2021)

Mark Houser is best known as the front man for the band Mark Houser and Bluegrass Drive. The band’s initial album Uneven Road reached #9 on Billboard Magazine’s Bluegrass Album Chart. Houser wrote, or co-wrote, all of the songs on the record including the song Lead Me Home that featured Grammy winner Rhonda Vincent on harmonies and reached #1 on the Inspirational Country Music Chart, the Christian Country Weekly Chart and Bluegrass Gospel Chart. The album, released on Rural Rhythm Records, included three chart singles. Houser co-produced the project with Little River Band guitarist Rich Herring.

Houser and Herring have teamed up yet again for the soon to released album from Mark Houser and Bluegrass Drive titled Americanaville. There has been significant initial excitement for the new record from those who are involved in the project. “This record is even better than the first one and I’m sure it will be well received,” said Rich Herring. Covid has delayed the release.

Houser is also an accomplished songwriter with over 100 songs recorded in various genres, including cuts by Rodney Atkins and Grand Ole Opry legend Jack Greene in country music, and Little River Band, Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply and Anthony Krizan of the Spin Doctors, in pop music. In addition Houser has penned many bluegrass cuts including one of the most played songs of 2007 according to Sirius Radio. The song Seven Miles from Wichita’ by Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain, spent 10 months on the charts eventually reaching #1. He also had a song on The Roys ICMA nominated album New Day Dawning titled Winding Roads.

Houser’s song Red, White and Blue Christmas was performed on numerous occasions on the Grand Ole Opry by Opry legend, the late Jack Greene.

Houser has played at various venues including being the first entertainer to play the Nashville Music City Center as the guest of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam during the Tennessee Statesman’s Dinner. Houser also played the Governor’s re-election kickoff at the Loveless Cafe. He has performed numerous times at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe.

Houser is also is a founding partner of Americanaville, LLC.

Arlo Gilliam is an American rock, country and blues musician and singer/songwriter. After making the move to Nashville in 2001, he quickly became a highly reputable hired gun as a bassist and background vocalist for artists such as: Wade Hayes, Kendell Marvel, Ward Davis, Phil Vassar, T. Graham Brown, Luke Bryan, Emerson Drive, Travis Tritt, and more. He wrote the Emerson Drive hit She’s My Kind of Crazy which charted in both the United States and Canada. It reached #5 in Canada and was #37 for 2012-year end Billboard Top 100. In addition to his many collaborative projects, Arlo is a respected artist in his own right. He is currently focusing on writing and recording new music as an independent artist.