Ottawa, Ontario  ·  Folk / Americana / Roots

Mark
McKechnie

"Songs you know.
Stories you haven't heard."

Solo acoustic performer. One guitar, one voice. A deep repertoire spanning five decades of folk, Americana, country, Celtic, and roots — delivered with campfire intimacy and quiet conviction.

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The artist

One guitar.
Five decades of stories.

Mark McKechnie is an Ottawa-based Folk/Americana fingerpicking artist — a solo performer whose sets weave together songs you know and stories you haven't heard.

His influences run deep and wide: Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Leonard Cohen on one end; Springsteen, Van Morrison, Blue Rodeo, and Stan Rogers on the other. These aren't tribute performances — they're conversations, reinterpreted through a single voice and a guitar that never stops moving.

After years in the corporate world, Mark came to music not as a pastime but as part of something harder and more honest. That experience shapes every performance — not as a shadow over the music, but as the thing that makes it true.

Based in Ottawa, Ontario. Available for restaurants, festivals, listening rooms, private events, and corporate events across Ontario and Canada.

Playing style
Primarily 12-string acoustic guitar, with 6-string woven in for texture and variety. Fingerpicked, warm, and bass-forward — the same voice and instrument every time.
Repertoire depth
A broad and deep catalogue spanning folk, Americana, country, Celtic, classic rock, and soul. Performances tailored to the event or venue.
Canadian roots
Blue Rodeo, Prairie Oyster, Fludd, Junkhouse, and Leonard Cohen woven through every set alongside Prine and Van Zandt. Mark is a Canadian troubadour, not a generic Americana act.
Original songs
Original songs woven into every set — a songwriter performing, not just a covers act.

"Campfire intimacy on a stage."

Watch & Listen

The music

Live recordings, solo acoustic — the same voice and guitar you get in the room.
No overdubs, no production gloss. Just the song.
Free ChordPro charts for the players in the room — see the Songbook tab.

The Boxer
Simon & Garfunkel — Solo acoustic, live
Purple Rain
Prince — Solo acoustic, live
And It Stoned Me
Van Morrison — Solo acoustic, live
Easy
The Commodores — Solo acoustic, live
Good Lord Lorrie
Turnpike Troubadours — Solo acoustic, live
Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen — Solo acoustic, live
Down Under
Colin Hay / Men at Work — Solo acoustic, live
Six Days on the Road
Dave Dudley — Solo acoustic, live

More on YouTube: @MMcKechnie

These are the actual charts I use to learn each song — free to download. Join the mailing list for access.

Please note: This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.

Sunday Morning Coming Down
Kris Kristofferson / Johnny Cash — live acoustic

Live home recording, 2025

Racing in the Streets
Bruce Springsteen — live acoustic

Live home recording, 2025

I Shall Be Released
Bob Dylan — live acoustic

Live home recording, 2025

Live acoustic home recordings — no production, no edits. What you hear is what you get in the room.

Live dates

Upcoming shows

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Get in touch

Book Mark

Solo acoustic, self-contained, and ready to go. Available for restaurants, listening rooms, festivals, private events, and corporate functions across Ottawa and Ontario.

Performances tailored to the event or venue. If you've got a room, get in touch.

I'll get back to you within 48 hours.