Closer to My Home is the long-awaited new album from the legendary guitarist/singer-songwriter and founding member of Grand Funk Railroad, Mark Farner.
Celebrating the 55th anniversary of the iconic hit ‘(I’m Your Captain) Closer To My Home’, Farner revisits the song with a brand-new recording for the the album.
Mark Farner: “These songs are honest and from my heart,” Farner said. “The collaboration with Jim (Peterik) and Mark (Slaughter) came from a place of trust and that makes the whole experience so much more rewarding as songwriters. The audience can feel that, and these songs reflect those very human moments that you can’t find creating a song from a computer. Closer to My Home comes from the idea that love is at the heart of all that I do, and music is my home.”
As one of the founding members, lead singer and lead guitarist, Farner wrote the vast majority of Grand Funk Railroad’s back-catalogue and his soulful voice, powerful riffs, great songwriting and energetic stage presence, combined to ensure Grand Funk Railroad were a great American success story.
Farner remains proud of his humble beginnings and a blue-collar outlook and this has been a defining element in his music. Over five decades later Farner commands the stage with the same intensity performing epic hits that defined a generation – ‘I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)’, ‘Bad Time’, ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’, ‘Foot Stompin’ Music’, ‘Heartbreaker’, “Rock & Roll Soul’, ‘Locomotion’, ‘Mean Mistreater’ and ‘We’re An American Band’.
Performing with Mark Farner’s American Band, Farner’s songs continue to resonate with audiences. When I interviewed Farner back in 2021 he emphasised the importance of that connection with audiences through his music, which was there from the very start:
“I think people appreciated the heart behind it. There was always a sincerity because I meant what I said. And when I… walk on that stage, I am who my songs say I am.”
Closer to My Home is released on November 8th on Righteous Rock Records and is available via vinyl and CD.
Interview:
You can read my full-length interview with Mark Farner here
Darren's music blog 