Interview with Mark Sabol Arkivet

We’ve been in contact with Mark Sabol of Mark and Suzann Farmer for over a year and finally we found the time to record an interview with him. Mark and Suzann Farmer recorded one album, We’ve Been There, in 1978, which is still pretty obscure among collectors. It is mostly known for the moody late-night version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”, and although excellent, this album is far from a one-track-album and I’ve always considered that its true strength lies in Mark’s own compositions. About half of the songs are self-penned and Mark is a competent songwriter and creative arranger, using the sparsely equipped living room recording studio to full use while Suzann has a strong and mesmerizing voice that works well with the material. The overall feel evokes a late-night lounge set at a dimly lit countryside roadhouse and with a minimal instrumentation, including a simple drum machine and a lot of homemade production tricks, they create a mellow but still diverse experience, with enough nuances to keep you returning for repeated listening. The covers generally work well in the mix, and if anything, adds to the lounge vibe and reflex the sound of their live set. In this interview we talk about the making of the album and how it was in the lounge business in the late 70s. We also listen to Dreams, American Child, Waiting For the Dawn and We’ve Been There from the album.