About The Artist
Located in Vancouver
Connection to Fraser Valley: I was born in Abbotsford and remember fondly on summers spent on my Grandparents' raspberry farm on Huntingdon road. After finishing school at Simon Fraser University, I returned to Abbotsford for two years, working as a graphic designer and just recently moved back to Vancouver this March. During my time back in the Valley, I was able to connect with the team at Common Room Music and start collaborating with and supporting the budding local music community. Since then I have performed as Semi Athletic Mill Lake Music (Abbotsford), Sun and Soil summer concert series (Chilliwack), multiple Common Room events, both Field House locations, Old Yale Brewing (Chilliwack), Sidekick Brewing (Chilliwack), private parties, and supported Oleefia on guitar (winner of the 2022 Common Room Recording Grant).My new album, "Try Hard", was also mixed and mastered at my home studio in Abbotsford. Singles were debuted on CIVL radio by Joe Johnson on the "Everything Indie" program.Upcoming performances in the Fraser Valley are outlined below:Aug 3 - Album Release Show with Beach Moms (Abbotsford)Aug 12 - Chilliwack Mural FestivalAug 12 - Old Yale BrewingAug 25 - Abbotsford Film FestivalAug 29- Field House (Chilliwack)Sep 30 - Marc's (Chilliwack)Oct 14 - The Banquet Room with House of The Future (Abbotsford)Oct 19 - Sidekick Brewing (Chilliwack)I also recently produced a single titled "Hinge" for Avril Rayne and am currently in production with Matt E. Netzke for an upcoming EP (both Fraser Valley based artists).
Semi Athletic’s (Mark Falk’s) specialty comes in the form of impressionistic songwriting paired with tasteful production and guitar riffs, otherwise known as “the tone zone”. As a Canadian who grew up in Prague that calls Alabama a third home, his output is a synthesis of time spent digging through record crates around the world and working in Muscle Shoals recording studios while interning for Single Lock Records.
The debut album “Fridays I Wear Silk” marked a turning point in Mark’s musical direction (after releasing two albums and an EP under his own name in High School). The album was recorded at the historic Muscle Shoals Sound Studio B and features cornerstones of the Shoals music community: John Paul White, members of Belle Adair, and Speckled Bird.
“Smoke Alarms (Trampoline Dunk Contests)” began as a short-film concept set in a mountain town called Hope and a voice memo that said, “I want to play drums in the kitchen again.” Made in collaboration with Matthew Koropatwa and Antonia Ramirez, the music video features disarming moments of intimacy alongside a group of kids with a comforting level of mischievousness.
The new album “Try Hard” (May 2023) was self-recorded and produced at Sun Drop Sound/Single Lock Records. With a refined artistic voice and vision, the album features introspective acoustic songs with twinkling keyboards next to full-out rock songs with playful, tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
Live performance highlights include opening for John Paul White at The Wise Hall (Vancouver) and a TV appearance on Music Room by Televize Seznam.