Critical Acclaim for Mark and Maggie O’Connor
"I got the wonderful cut of 'Wildflowers'. I was very, very proud of both you and Maggie. It always touches my heart when somebody likes one of my songs well enough to do it, especially someone as great as you. I've always admired and respected your talent. And Maggie, you sound awfully sweet. Just wanted you to know that I received it and I love it. Love, Dolly".
-Dolly Parton
ALBUM REVIEW
BLUEGRASS TODAY:
Life After Life – Mark and Maggie O’Connor
Mark O’Connor’s credentials are second to none in the world of traditional music. A triple Grammy winner and seven-time CMA Musician of the Year, he’s an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist who is equally adept on fiddle, guitar, and mandolin. He’s also made his mark as a modern classical composer, having broken new ground with such stirring compositions as Appalachia Waltz and The Fiddle Concerto. His wife, Maggie O’Connor, is also adept and accomplished in her own right, courtesy of a Grammy win, a master’s degree in classical violin performance from the famed Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and an extended stint in the O’Connor Family Band.
This year, the two celebrate a personal and professional partnership that began in 2014 with the American Classical violin duo. Their work has currently culminated in their most accessible effort yet, Life After Life, a series of songs composed mainly by Mark (who’s also credited with production), but which decidedly benefits from the input of both. Maggie takes her turn as lead singer on several of the tracks, which also feature additional contributions from upright bassist Dennis Crouch and drummer/percussionist John Gardner.
The result is a consistently infectious set of songs, which, true to the album’s title, expresses the need for hope and optimism, even in the face of obstacles and adversity. They speak to rebirth and revival, with a sound that’s so bright and buoyant it’s all but impossible to resist their beck and call. To that end, the album includes three select covers — Stevie Wonder’s Love’s in Need of Love Today, Something to Love, by Jason Isbell, and Wildflowers, a stunning classic credited to Dolly Parton.
Happily then, the original material maintains those uplifting ideals. The rollicking and robust Spice of Life, One Sunray At A Time, and We Just Happened To Fly, are conveyed with an energy and enthusiasm that reflect the sentiment suggested by the songs titles themselves. The couple’s buoyant vocals, the rousing emotions, and rich arrangements allow these offerings to resonate and reverberate with the joy and jubilation that was obviously intended. So too, the sweetness and serenity found in the title track, Ride Towards Home, and Joe Henry’s tender lyrics, All We Will Be, further affirm that sense of stillness that pervades the album overall.
The album concludes with a lovely and lilting instrumental take on the old Ukrainian folk song, Verbovaya Doschechka, wrapping the proceedings in a way reminiscent of O’Connor’s Appalachian waltzes. Here again, it affirms the fact that life — and Life After Life — are indeed well worth cherishing.
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Roots “N” Revelry
‘Life After Life’ – Mark and Maggie O’Connor – Album Review
It always strikes me as silly when people argue until they’re blue in the face about whether something is Americana or Bluegrass. Mark and Maggie O’Connor released their new album, Life After Life, on April 26. Whether you call it Americana, Bluegrass, or something else entirely, I simply call it damn fine musicianship. Mark and Maggie have garnered numerous awards for their multi-instrumentalist talents, and this shines brightly on their new album.
Mark’s songwriting ability and production skills, coupled with Maggie’s vocal talents, create a perfect blend of depth and flair. Life After Life takes a deep dive into a very personal exploration. The album, inspired by the pandemic and Covid-19 lockdowns, is intended to help us reconnect and fall in love with life again. It reminds us to be thankful, all the while being highlighted by the vibrant sounds and nimble fingers of seasoned bluegrass players.
Highlights
The musicianship behind this album is truly special—precise, nuanced, and intricately deliberate. We Just Happened to Fly showcases the O’Connors’ ability to weave thematic storytelling and blazing instrumentals seamlessly. The track begins with a dueling violin and fast-paced flatpicked guitar. The intro is abruptly joined by Maggie’s vocal, creating a tension that enhances her storytelling. Mark, along with the drumbeat, joins in the call-and-response chorus, harmonizing, “We just happened to fly.” Tastefully complemented by effortless guitar and violin solos, the song uses cinematic metaphors to describe taking a leap of faith together and the journey that has led them to where they are now.
The title track, Life after Life, leans more into a traditional bluegrass groove, with an infectious beat heavily driven by a stand-up bass and snare drum. Mark plays multiple instruments throughout the tune, yet still manages to lay down all those sweet guitar runs that we’ve come to love. Co-written by Joe Henry, the lyrics are profoundly deep, metaphor-laden, and at times cryptic, very Dylan-esque. Overall, as far as my pea-bodied brain can surmise, the song could simply describe the world as we know it today, or possibly characterize life’s chaotic nature and the beauty within it as its cycle continues unbroken. Maggie O’Connor continues to let her vocals do the talking, no pun intended, as Life After Life proves itself as an instant classic.
More Standout Tracks
Outside of the original songs on Life After Life, the album includes three fantastic covers. Often, covers are thrown onto an album as an afterthought or as filler, but that couldn’t be further from the truth here. The O’Connors have left their calloused fingerprints all over these tracks, bringing their own artistic interpretation and vocal style to the table. Wildflowers becomes an instant mandolin-driven bluegrass standard as Maggie O’Connor’s angelic vocals make Dolly Parton proud.
Both Stevie Wonder’s Love’s in Need of Love Today and Jason Isbell’s Something to Love get a similar makeover with traditional bluegrass flair. I will never be one of those guys who claims something is better than the original, BUT, when it comes to something like this, I can objectively understand the argument. Both songs fall right within the duo’s sound and style, with Mark’s arrangements and all the string instruments between the pair, they transform these songs into something uniquely special.
Verbovaya Doschechka (A Ukrainian Folk Song) is truly something mythical. It’s hard to describe with words. Composed by Mark and Maggie on duo violins, rather than trying to ask why or dissect it, I think the origin speaks for itself. The couple learned the traditional melody line while performing with string players from the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra in an online violin choir recorded in March 2022. The orchestra members were in basements-turned-bunkers taking shelter from Russian missiles. Enough said… right? The ballad is haunting, somber, and even eerie at times. A fitting and powerful choice to end the album, especially in the world’s current climate.
Final Thoughts
Mark and Maggie O’Connor showcase a newfound love for life in Life After Life.
Life After Life shines brightly as a feel-good exploration and commentary on life and the world as we know it. Sometimes happy and energetic, sometimes sad and somber, Mark O’Connor once more proves himself not just as a musician but more so as a writer and producer.
Every track on Life After Life illuminates and offers something memorable. Although the overarching theme of the album “learning to love life again” resonates, it more so succeeds at showcasing the bond and the sheer unadulterated talent, musicianship, and vocals of the O’Connors. Mark shines as always, burning up the strings on anything he touches, while Maggie O’Connor’s vocals bring her into the spotlight as a prominent figure in the industry. Life After Life is an unexpected gem that’ll flatpick your heartstrings.
Album Release: April 26, 2024
Favorite Tracks: Life After Life, We Just Happened To Fly
RootsnRevelry Grade: A
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ALBUM REVIEW: Life After Life - Mark and Maggie O'Connor
"A Journey of Facing Challenges, Finding Hope
Americana and bluegrass power couple Mark and Maggie O'Connor release their latest album, "Life After Life," on all platforms today, April 26th, via global music company ONErpm.
Boasting a rich, all-acoustic Americana sound, "Life After Life" is a meditation on love, resilience and hope in the face of life's challenges, taking shape during the pandemic. Originals like "We Just Happened to Fly" and "Ride Towards Home" explore themes of faith and connection. The album also features their take on classics by Stevie Wonder, Jason Isbell, and Dolly Parton. Dolly Parton herself even praised their rendition of "Wildflowers."
Mark, a seven-time CMA winner, showcases his talents on fiddle, guitar, and mandolin. He also takes the lead on songwriting, harmony singing, and production. Maggie, a Grammy-winning artist herself, steps into the spotlight as lead vocalist alongside her instrumental contributions.
The album closes with a poignant violin duet, a return to the roots of Mark and Maggie's musical journey. The piece is based on a Ukrainian folk song "Verbovaya Doschechka" learned from members of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra during an online collaboration in 2022."
- Mark Allen Wood for Patch, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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“Standing toe-to-toe with Mark O’Connor at the altar is one thing; doing it when he has a fiddle in his hands quite another. Maggie has been impressing critics and fans alike for some time now but working with her new husband, and appearing with him on this album, is going to vault her into the front ranks of American violinists. Other treats abound, including a stirring “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” evocative, swinging, celebratory and complete with a soft Mark-and-Maggie vocal duet on which the latter reveals a quite fetching voice, soft and warm.” There is also an overriding truth relating to the O’Connors’. It starts with the heart. This couple ain’t just fiddlin’ around.”
-David McGee - Deep Roots Magazine
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"Brilliantly original."
-The Seattle Times
"Husband and wife string duo Mark O'Connor and Maggie O'Connor have an undeniable musical connection that shines through their recordings of both American classics and Mark’s own compositions.”
-Chicago Symphony
“Maggie O’Connor once more emerge as a force to be reckoned with — this time on fiddle. Her solo passages were fiery and filled with a dazzling passion."
-Arts ATL Review:
“Mark O’Connor is a renowned violin player and guitarist - having worked with giants of the industry in the worlds of bluegrass, country, jazz, and classical music. Equally as accomplished is Maggie O’Connor, Mark’s wife, who’s recorded with Zac Brown and Paul Simon, to name a few. Together, they’re a brilliant and beautiful duo whose chemistry is undeniable.”
-Connect Savannah – News | Arts | Entertainment
"Closing the concert was…Mark O’Connor and his wife, Maggie O’Connor, a terrific violinist and personality, dressed in an eye-catching sparkling gown. The O’Connors engaged in a rousing, flirty, high-energy back and forth (she in jazzy riffs and he in a more bluesy vein)... And after many rounds of applause there were two rip-roaring encores that had the audience dancing in their seats. Great fun."
-WTTW Chicago: Arts and Entertainment
“What’s more beautiful than the sound of Mark O’Connor’s violin resonating through the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall? ...when Maggie O’Connor – his wife – joined him onstage...it was about as close to heaven as you’re apt to get in downtown Troy...a consistently riveting performance.”
-Nippertown Music - Arts – Culture
“Strummed chords, acrobatic single-note runs and clusters, and diamond-point harmonics come at you with a velocity that leaves you stunned, or giggling at the audacity of it all”
-Acoustic Guitar Magazine
“The Treasures of fiddlers Mark and Maggie O’Connor. Iconic, Grammy-winning American fiddler Mark O'Connor garners standing ovations at the Grand Ole Opry with shows unlike any other, blending crackling Americana with striking sophistication. Inspired by the American Songbook, Mark and wife, Maggie, deliver a treasure trove of duo music.”
-Gobbler Connect
“foot-stomping, heart-pounding music with three-time Grammy-winner, seven-time Country Music Association award recipient and titled champion of multiple national fiddle, guitar and mandolin competitions, Mark O’Connor. Performing with some of the biggest names in the industry, from Yo-Yo Ma to James Taylor, the distinguished multi-instrumentalist — joined for this show by his wife, Grammy award winning violinist Maggie O’Connor — blends the soulful traditions of bluegrass, country and folk with the virtuosic precision of classical music.
-All Events Asheville
"The audience was on its feet . . . They were moved by Mr. O'Connor's journey without maps, cheering for the only musician today who can reach so deeply first into the refined, then the vernacular."
-The New York Times
EBM
ESSENTIAL BROADCAST MEDIA
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
GRAMMY-WINNING AMERICANA ARTISTS
MARK AND MAGGIE O’CONNOR RELEASE NEW ALBUM VIA ONErpm
Life After Life Set for Release April 26
Joins Musician Spotlight Series at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Ford Theater on April 28 Followed by New Music Showcase at The Vinyl Lounge on April 29
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Global music company ONErpm is proud to announce the release of Life After Life, the latest album from GRAMMY Award-winning Americana and bluegrass artists Mark and Maggie O’Connor, which will be distributed on all platforms next Friday, April 26.
A seven-time CMA Award winner, Mark O’Connor is a legendary multi-instrumentalist famous for his work on fiddle, guitar and mandolin. On Life After Life, Mark not only brings these talents to bear but is also the principal songwriter and harmony singer, in addition to producing the album. Maggie, a talented artist in her own right who won a GRAMMY for playing and singing bluegrass with her husband Mark in the O’Connor Band, debuts as the lead singer as well as an instrumentalist.
The compelling theme flowing throughout Life After Life is the idea that while our common experiences can turn into challenges—even hardships—we still seek optimism and hope. As Mark explains, “Our new songs are about learning to fall in love with life again after being utterly frightened by it,” as this collection took shape during the pandemic.
The title track, written by Mark and folk singer/wordsmith Joe Henry, references poet Denise Levertov, who writes of a particular woman whose “life after life after life goes by without poetry, without seemliness, without love.” The songwriters wanted to build on the idea but with some surety.
As Henry explains, “For me, it speaks quite simply to the way life continues to tumble toward us: not in neat, compartmentalized chapters but in overlapping, cross-fading––confounding, misleading, wondrous and glorious––concurrently racing episodes we are nonetheless invited to embrace…even when they mystify us. Maybe even especially when they do.” Mark agrees, saying, “Joe’s words truly embody why this song is the perfect title track as the lyrics so genuinely describe the lives Maggie and I lead together.”
Mark’s original songs on Life After Life range from taking a leap of faith together in “We Just Happened to Fly” to testing faith in “All We Will Be,” both of which he co-wrote with Henry. “Ride Towards Home,” a song Mark wrote with Maggie, talks about horses and what they have meant to mankind, while “Spice of Life,” written with Jim Parker, is about remembering to enjoy the little things. Mark wrote the current single being offered to Americana radio stations, “One Sunray At A Time,” about raising his daughter, Autumn.
Each of the album’s songs showcase intricate interludes featuring a wide range of acoustic instruments. Mark says he “drew upon years of experience interpreting vocal songs instrumentally, while also reflecting on my work with some of the great popular songwriters of our time, such as James Taylor, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan.” O’Connor adds that after sitting in a recording studio next to Dylan as he noodled on his guitar between takes, “It raised my curiosity about him purely as a musician. So I designed the solo sections for these songs by imagining what it would sound like if Dylan fully articulated his own music as a guitar soloist.”
Along this same vein, Mark’s arranging skills and Maggie’s storytelling vocals offer new interpretations of three covers for the album: “Love’s in Need of Love Today” by Stevie Wonder; “Something to Love” by Jason Isbell; and the timeless “Wildflowers” by Dolly Parton.
“Dear Mark, I got the wonderful cut of “Wildflowers.” I was very, very proud of both you and Maggie. It always touches my heart when somebody likes one of my songs well enough to do it, especially someone as great as you. I’ve always admired you and respected your talent. And Maggie, you sound awfully sweet. Just wanted you to know that I received it and I love it.
Love, Dolly.”
Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today” likewise offers a message as relevant now as it was in the 1970s, notes Maggie, adding further that “Isbell’s song has great advice on finding something you enjoy to get you through the tough times. We picked these three songs to cover,” she explains, “because they gave voice to our own feelings, given how recent history has changed our landscape.”
The recording of Life After Life is an all-acoustic Americana sound garden, with the authoritative upright bass of Dennis Crouch, an old-fashioned drum set masterfully played by veteran John Gardner and the O’Connors using practically every acoustic instrument in their collection. You will hear a Civil War–era Martin guitar, a hundred-year-old Gibson mandocello and a string quartet consisting of two violins, a viola and cello commissioned by Daniel Pearl’s family (for the Wall Street Journal writer killed in Pakistan at the outset of the Iraq War). The Pearl family loans these beautiful instruments to students of the O’Connor Method String Camp each year as a message of fighting hatred.
Life After Life concludes with a heartaching piece. Mark and Maggie return to the violin duo setting their musical relationship began with 10 years ago, but this time in a way even more deeply felt. Mark composed a violin duo reminiscent of his own “Appalachia Waltz” that he recorded with internationally renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma but based on the old Ukrainian folk song “Verbovaya Doschechka” (the willow board). The couple learned the traditional melody line while performing with string players from the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra in an online violin choir recorded in March 2022 while orchestra members were in basements-turned-bunkers taking shelter from Russian missiles.
“It is an honor to team up with the O’Connors to showcase their many talents and musical creativity,” says Tim Wipperman, managing director of ONErpm’s Nashville office.
Life After Life track listing
(Songwriters in parenthesis)
Spice of Life (Jim Parker and Mark O’Connor)
One Sunray at a Time (Mark O’Connor)
Something to Love (Jason Isbell)
We Just Happened to Fly (Joe Henry and Mark O’Connor)
Life After Life (Joe Henry and Mark O’Connor)
Wildflowers (Dolly Parton)
All We Will Be (Joe Henry and Mark O’Connor)
Ride Towards Home (Maggie O’Connor and Mark O’Connor)
Love’s in Need of Love Today (Stevie Wonder)
Verbovaya Doschechka (P.D. Arr. Mark O’Connor)
In addition to the album, you can catch the O’Connors on tour this spring for a series of album-release showcases, including performances in Nashville at Ford Theater at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on April 28 at 1pm CT and The Vinyl Lounge at 6pm CT.
Mark & Maggie O’Connor Tour Dates
April 28 // Nashville, TN // Ford Theater, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
April 29 // Nashville, TN // The Vinyl Lounge
May 3 // Charlotte, NC // Cain Center for the Arts (Cornelius)
May 9 // Minneapolis, MN // Hopkins Center for the Arts
May 15 // Boston, MA // Club Passim
May 17 // New York, NY // The Iridium
May 24 // Richmond, VA // The Tin Pan
May 26 // Floyd, VA // The Floyd Country Store
May 28 // Annapolis, MD // Rams Head on Stage
May 30 // Sellersville, PA // Sellersville Theater
June 1 // Chicago, IL // Old Town School of Folk Music
June 2 // Madison, WI // The Bur Oak
For more information on the shows, visit MarkAndMaggieOConnor.com. For more on Mark O’Connor’s illustrious career, check out his recently released memoir, Crossing Bridges: My Journey from Child Prodigy to Fiddler Who Dared the World, available now on Amazon and featured on NPR’s Morning Edition.
About ONErpm
ONErpm is a leading next-generation music company and record label operating globally in 43 locations powered by a staff of 600. At its core, ONErpm offers label services to artists seeking to elevate their careers and operates one of the world’s largest music distribution platforms and YouTube Multi-Channel Networks. Offering a full suite of services that includes marketing support, supply chain tools, SAAS, business intelligence, publishing, accounting and global payment solutions, ONErpm provides the infrastructure needed to help creators and content owners succeed. As a trusted partner, ONErpm emphasizes transparency in everything it does, from executing a marketing campaign to making payments.
About Mark and Maggie O’Connor
Mark O’Connor, a three-time Grammy winner and seven-time CMA Musician of the Year, is a legendary multi-instrumentalist famous for his work on fiddle, guitar and mandolin. He is also a ground-breaking American classical composer known for pieces like “Appalachia Waltz” and “The Fiddle Concerto.” Georgia native Maggie O’Connor, also a Grammy winner, earned a master’s degree in classical violin performance from the famed Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore before returning to her own Americana music roots and joining the O’Connor Band.
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Media Contacts
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Essential Broadcast Media
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