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Who I Am (Cory Marks album)

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Who I Am
Studio album by
Cory Marks
ReleasedAugust 7, 2020
StudioThe Hideout, Las Vegas, NV
GenreCountry rock[1]
Length44:25
LabelBetter Noise
Producer
Cory Marks chronology
This Man
(2015) 		Who I Am
(2020) 		Nashville Mornings
(2021)
Singles from Who I Am
  1. "Outlaws & Outsiders"
    Released: March 4, 2020
  2. "Drive"
    Released: July 20, 2020
  3. "Blame It on the Double"
    Released: October 5, 2020
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Maximum Volume[2]
Entertainment Focus[3]
Ramzine[4]

Who I Am is the second studio album by Canadian country rock artist Cory Marks, and was released on August 7, 2020 through Better Noise Music.[5][6][7] It includes the singles "Outlaws and Outsiders", "Drive" and "Blame It on the Double".

Background

[edit]

Marks spent five years co-writing and recording the songs for this album with producer Kevin Churko.[7] Marks frequently travelled from his hometown North Bay, Ontario to Churko's studio "The Hideout" in Las Vegas, Nevada to work on the album.[8]

Critical reception

[edit]

Dave Brooks of Billboard referred to the album as the "Long Awaited Next Generation Country Rock Record".[1] Nanci Dagg of Canadian Beats Media said of Marks and the album: "his style is outlaw country/country rock and he pulls it off like no other. He has a boisterous sound and unique style that will always impress those who have come to know him and his music".[8] Rock 'N' Load Magazine said the "album is packed with a gnarly backbone and beautiful melodies intertwined right across the thirteen fine recordings".[9] Andy Morley of Maximum Volume Music stated the album is "for the good ol’ boys, [it's] never meaning no harm, oh and it's going to take over the world. See, a college hockey player, and a pilot he might have been, but these days Cory Marks is about to break out as a big star.[2]

Singles

[edit]

Marks released his first single on Better Noise Music, "Outlaws & Outsiders", featuring Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt, and Mick Mars,[10] in November 2019. It debuted at #1 on iTunes in Canada as well as #1 on the Billboard Rock Digital Songs and Hard Rock Digital Songs charts and #7 on the Country Digital Songs charts[11][12] and would later peak inside the top 10 on US Mainstream Rock radio, top 5 on German rock radio, and at #12 on Canada Rock radio.[13][14]

Marks released three promotional singles, "Better Off",[15] "Blame It on the Double",[16] and "Devil's Grin",[17] prior to officially announcing the album.

In June 2020, Marks released "Drive",[18][19][20] and announced it as the second single to country radio off the simultaneously announced album.

"Blame It on the Double" became the album’s second single to rock radio in Germany and the United Kingdom in October 2020.[21] A later version of the song featuring Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman was sent to Canadian country radio,[22] while another version featuring Connolly and Jason Hook was sent to Canadian rock radio.[23]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Devil's Grin"
2:43
2."Outlaws & Outsiders" (featuring Travis Tritt, Ivan Moody & Mick Mars)
  • Marks
  • Churko
  • Churko
3:17
3."Good to Be Us"
2:57
4."Blame It on the Double"
  • Marks
  • Churko
  • Churko
3:27
5."Another Night in Jail"
  • Marks
  • Churko
  • Churko
3:36
6."Who I Am"
  • Marks
2:53
7."Drive"
  • Marks
3:34
8."Better Off"
  • Marks
  • Kevin Churko
3:17
9."My Whiskey Your Wine"
  • Marks
3:16
10."Keep Doing What I Do"
  • Marks
  • Churko
  • Churko
3:33
11."Out in the Rain" (featuring Lzzy Hale)
  • Marks
  • Churko
  • Churko
4:14
Bonus tracks (CD/Digital/Streaming only)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."She’s Hollywood"
  • Marks
  • Churko
  • Churko
4:16
13."My Whiskey Your Wine" (acoustic)
  • Marks
3:16

Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from the album liner notes.[24]

  • Scotty Alexander - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo
  • Jay Buettner - electric guitar
  • Kane Churko - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keys, production, engineering
  • Kevin Churko - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass guitar, keys, drums, production, engineering, mixing, mastering
  • Khloe Churko - studio assistance
  • Jody Domingue - photography
  • Alex Donaldson - electric guitar
  • Joel Ferguson - steel guitar, slide guitar
  • Bob Funk - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo
  • Tristin Hardin - editing
  • Lzzy Hale - featured vocals on "Out in the Rain"
  • Shane Hendrickson - bass guitar
  • Cory Marks - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, drums
  • Mick Mars - electric guitar on "Outlaws & Outsiders"
  • Shawn McGhee - editing
  • Ivan Moody - featured vocals on "Outlaws & Outsiders"
  • Marc Muller - electric guitar, steel guitar, slide guitar
  • Ed Regan - photography
  • Travis Tritt - featured vocals on "Outlaws & Outsiders"
  • Justin Schipper - steel guitar, slide guitar
  • Adam Wakeman - organ
  • John Wellman - artwork

Charts

[edit]

Album

[edit]
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[25] 16
Canada Top 20 (MC)[26] 12
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 98
UK Country Albums (OCC)[28] 6
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[29] 74
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[30] 17

Singles

[edit]
Year Single Peak
positions
AUS
Country
[31] 		CAN
Digital
[32] 		CAN
Rock
[14] 		US
Country
Digital
[33] 		US
Main
Rock
[34] 		US
Rock
[35]
2020 "Outlaws & Outsiders"[12]
(featuring Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt and Mick Mars) 		41 11 12 7 10 14
"Drive"[18] — — — — — —
"Blame It on the Double"[21] — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2021 Canadian Country Music Awards Alternative Country Album of the Year Who I Am Nominated [36][37]
2022 Country Music Association of Ontario Songwriter(s) of the Year "Blame It on the Double" (with Kevin Churko and Kane Churko) Nominated [38][39]

Release history

[edit]
Release formats for Who I Am
Country Date Format Label Ref.
Various August 7, 2020 Digital download
[5]
Compact disc
Streaming
August 28, 2020 Vinyl

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Brooks, Dave (August 11, 2020). "Cory Marks Debuts Long Awaited Next Generation Country Rock Record 'Who I Am'". Billboard.
  2. ^ a b Thorley, Andy (August 12, 2020). "REVIEW: CORY MARKS – WHO I AM (2020)". Maximum Volume Music.
  3. ^ Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (August 7, 2020). "Cory Marks – Who I Am Album Review". Entertainment Focus.
  4. ^ Dison, Tom (September 13, 2020). "Cory Marks states clearly Who I Am". Ramzine.
  5. ^ a b "Who I Am – Cory Marks". AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Iahn, Buddy (August 11, 2020). "CORY MARKS 'WHO I AM' DEBUTS WORLDWIDE". The Music Universe.
  7. ^ a b "Cory Marks, The Critically Acclaimed Next Generation of Country Rock, Releases Debut Album, WHO I AM". The Country Note. August 7, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Dagg, Nanci (August 26, 2020). "Review & Interview with Cory Marks". Canadian Beats Media.
  9. ^ "CORY MARKS // WHO I AM // ALBUM REVIEW". Rock 'N' Load Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  10. ^ Gosselin, Jessica (November 26, 2019). "North Bay's Cory Marks' new song is number one on iTunes Canada". CTV News Northern Ontario.
  11. ^ "Cory Marks Throws Down in Single "Outlaws & Outsiders" ft. Travis Tritt, Ivan Moody & Mick Mars". Front Porch Music. January 26, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Brooks, Dave (December 20, 2019). "Cory Marks 'Outlaws and Outsiders' Is the 2019 Hit That Couldn't Be Confined". Billboard.
  13. ^ "Big day for North Bay's Cory Marks". BayToday.ca. August 7, 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Travis Tritt Chart History: Canada Rock Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  15. ^ "Cory Marks releases his new single 'Better Off'". The Rockpit. December 13, 2019.
  16. ^ "Top Country Pick: Cory Marks 'Blame It On The Double'". Top Country. February 14, 2020.
  17. ^ Taylor, Blake (April 17, 2020). "Cory Marks Releases New Single, 'Devil's Grin'". iHeart Radio.
  18. ^ a b Brooks, Dave (June 19, 2020). "Cory Marks New Track 'Drive' Is The Feel Good Country Hit of the Summer". Billboard.
  19. ^ Elwood-Hughes, Pip (June 7, 2020). "Cory Marks debuts new track Drive ahead of August album release". Entertainment Focus.
  20. ^ Iahn, Buddy (June 5, 2020). "CORY MARKS ANNOUNCES 'WHO I AM'". The Music Universe.
  21. ^ a b "Cory Marks on Twitter: "Very excited to announce that my single #BlameItOnTheDouble is now at UK & [German] rock radio!! 🥃🥃 @BetterNoise 🇬🇧🇨🇦"". Retrieved October 5, 2020 – via Twitter.
  22. ^ "CORY MARKS' NEW 'NASHVILLE MORNINGS' EP OFFERS REFRESHED APPROACH TO THE COUNTRY-ROCKER'S CATALOGUE". Rock N' Load Magazine. June 17, 2021.
  23. ^ Brooks, Dave (April 30, 2021). "Cory Marks Drops Single With Jason Hook & Theory of a Deadman's Tyler Connolly". Billboard.
  24. ^ Who I Am (CD booklet). Cory Marks. Better Noise Music. 2020. BNM-581-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^ "ARIA Report" (PDF). ARIA. August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  26. ^ "Top 20 Albums - Charts for August 17, 2020". Music Canada. August 17, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  27. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Cory Marks – Who I Am". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  28. ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  29. ^ "Billboard Top Album Sales - Week of August 22, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  30. ^ "Billboard Heatseekers Albums - Week of August 22, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  31. ^ References for Australian Country Hot 50:
  32. ^ "Travis Tritt Chart History: Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard.
  33. ^ "Travis Tritt Chart History: Country Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  34. ^ "Travis Tritt Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Travis Tritt Chart History: Hot Rock & Alternative Songs". Billboard.
  36. ^ Colley, Katie (September 21, 2021). "The Reklaws Lead CCMA Awards Nominations With Six: See The Full List". ET Canada. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021.
  37. ^ Samhan, Jamie (November 30, 2021). "2021 CCMA Awards winners list: Dallas Smith voted entertainer of the year". Global News.
  38. ^ "2022 CMAOntario Awards Nominees Announced". CMA Ontario. March 24, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  39. ^ "10th Annual CMAOntario Awards Winners Announced". CMA Ontario. June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
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