“Over the last five or six years, our nation has become more divided than I have ever experienced in my lifetime. Certain conversations, that used to lead to healthy discussions between family members and friends, are now off limits.

“The internet seems to make people feel insulated from any real consequences, so it has become an open forum for lying, verbal attacks, and thievery. Even the national media jumped on the bandwagon, fueling the fire, and often perpetuating outright lies.

“I guess this song is my attempt to restart the conversation — a reminder that there is no shortcut around looking someone in the eye, and speaking the truth. It’s a simple form of mutual respect, and when there is harmony among people, we’ve proven that not even the sky’s the limit...

“I really mean it when I say, ‘You mean so much to me.’ I love people, and I still believe in our inherent greater good. If we can all start with the same set of facts, we can at least respect each other’s differences. ‘We gotta make it right.’

“For some reason I decided to pull out my old Guild Aristocrat, hollow-body electric for this tune. It’s a hollow-bodied guitar, with no f-holes... very unique. Just a simple clean tone, with a touch of chorus effect; slightly inspired by Taj Mahal on ‘Queen Bee.’

“I played bass and drums on this track as well, so I decided to make a video with a different look for each instrument. It was fun, and I just sang along the whole time. Playing drums and singing at the same time is new to me, and requires a little separation of the brain, like patting your head, and rubbing your tummy.”

— Mark Bryan, February 2023

Mark says, “Folks, I had the chance to work with badass director, Mark Pellington on ‘Gotta Get Outta Town.’ He heard the song, and immediately knew how he wanted to make the video, which is the exact same spirit the song was written in, so we were fired up.

“I usually say I’m a ‘rock musician’ when people suggest that I’m a 'rock star', but I definitely felt like a ‘rock star’ when we were making this video. Pellington is intense, and the shoot was full of energy.

The cast they assembled was full of talented, vibrant individuals that have become new friends.”

Mark Pellington adds, “Mark Bryan is an amazing artist. Such a creative, positive, and uncompromising guy. He was nothing but soulful, encouraging, and optimistic. I found this energy to be infectious and his whole open-hearted worldview to be incredibly bright and positive.

“Making ‘Gotta Get Outta Town’ was an absolute joy, and reminded me when I first heard an old, reckless, mayhem-filled Replacements B-side. Loose, fun, cool, uninhibited... The song was that spirit of what we're trying to do on this video.”

Click over to YouTube for full song and video credits.

Mark released his fourth solo album Midlife Priceless on April 2, 2021.

That summer, he was joined by many of his best musical friends for a live show just outside of his homebase in Charleston, South Carolina. The outdoor set at The Windjammer on Isle of Palms was captured by multiple cameras, and now the video and audio of the performance has been released as Mark's first live solo album 'Jammer Bits (Live from The Windjammer).

Mark’s live band for this show features musicians Gary Greene, Tim Nielsen of Drivin N Cryin, Hank Futch of Blue Dogs, Matt Zutell, and Scottie Frier, along with special appearances by Megan Davis Campbell, Wyatt Durrette, and Dean Felber of Hootie & The Blowfish.