The adage about time is that it remains undefeated. Everyone has to go at some point. But with today’s musical landscape, artists continue to defy Father Time (and the Grim Reaper) by performing well into their sixties, seventies and beyond. From the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen to Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, age is just a number. And Oshawa-based blues rock artist Mark Wihlidal and producer/guitarist Chris Birkett are taking that idea to the masses with the great, engrossing single “One More Time.”
Wihlidal says “One More Time,” produced by Chris Birkett and featuring Birkett’s guitar work, was inspired by the idea of equating one’s age to one’s self-worth or ability as an artist. “This song is about an aging artist who wants to keep getting on the stage and performing as they always have,” Wihlidal says. “They don’t want to be left behind or forgotten. They want their music to live on and not fade away. They feel that even though they are aged, they still have lots to give as an artist.”
“One More Time” is a thoughtful, slow-building song as Wihlidal’s powerful and passionate delivery shines while the electric guitar works its magic thanks to both Wihlidal and Birkett. Think of some combination between Canadian artist Tom Cochrane and the earthy, roots feel of John Hiatt and “One More Time” comes into full view over nearly four and a half enjoyable minutes.
Please let me sing one more day
Please let me play before I’m cast away
One more time, before I leave it all behind
Please don’t let me fade away.
Although Wihlidal says the inspiration for “One More Time” wasn’t initially coming from personal experience, he realized that aging and performing is “a hot topic” for him. “It has been implied that my age has lost me a few performances,” he says. “I was told that I cannot be an ’emerging artist’ because I am older.
“Why is it that the music business only wants youth and beauty? When we listen to a song, do you think about the age of the artist or how they look? NO…Never. Music is ageless. Performing is great for the soul at any age.”
Wihlidal, whose work has been featured in various Ontario daily publications both in his hometown of Oshawa and as far west as Niagara Falls, released the single “Life Can Be A Mystery” in 2022. In 2023 he released “You and Me” with the Doctors of Music, a group Wihlidal amicably parted company with earlier in 2024. Wihlidal has also been featured on several music sites ranging from Cashbox and Tinnitist to Record World and Canadian Beats.
Now with a new single and having recently performed dates in Alberta, Mark Wihlidal looks forward to new material and music in 2024 and beyond. He also hopes to collaborate with Birkett again. “He’s a true gentleman and boy can he play guitar,” Wihlidal says.
And just like the message heard loud and clear in “One More Time,” Wihlidal isn’t putting his feet up and retiring anytime soon. “Personally, you will have to drag me off a stage to put me in the grave. Aging artists deserve more attention. Artists AT ANY AGE have lots to share.”
It’s a timeless message for a song that sounds timeless.
