UK-born, Byron Bay-based singer songwriter Mark Ridout first performed on stage in 2002, becoming a regular on the London songwriter circuit, where he supported Ed Sheeran (before he got huge) and Kate Miller-Heidke at renowned venues such as The Troubadour, The Bedford & The Green Note, while by day working in a secure psychiatric hospital. 
 Since then he has played tons of gigs across Europe, America, Asia & Australia - moving to live in Byron Bay, AUS, in 2010, releasing ‘Dive into the Water’ (produced by Jordan Power - Xavier Rudd) and 'Bravery' (produced by Garrett Kato - Ziggy Alberts). 
 "The emotional tone is stunning." 'My Random Jukebox', music blog. 
 In high school he played drums in sweaty rock bands, whilst learning the guitar, writing poetry on the back of school books and finding his voice. His vocals have been described as "compelling and hugely expressive" (Hotpress), and "atmospheric and elemental" (Acoustic magazine). He has played festivals such as Splendour in the Grass, Brighton Fringe (Uk) and Mullumbimby Music Festival. His song ‘All my Sides’ was featured in indie feature film; 'Weavil' (2018). 
Mark is in the process of writing his debut novel, ‘The Parallels of Felix.’ A story exploring the mysteries of consciousness & mental health, and set across parallel lives. 
 His recent musical offering, Instrumentals EP (2022), is a set of calming solo guitar pieces, to help ease the uncertainty of our time.