(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Tonight on Inland Session.

♪ I look in your eyes ♪ Singer songwriter Mark Houston visits the studio to play songs from his debut album performing his beautiful melancholy style of indie-folk.

(upbeat music) - Hi, everybody my name is Mark Houston.

I got my friends joining me today and we're gonna play some tunes for you so huge thank you to KSPS for having us today and let's have some fun.

First song is called "Open up the Pages."

(instrumental music) ♪ You just live your life to please ♪ ♪ You try to put everyone else at ease ♪ ♪ You're always doing the things you're told ♪ ♪ While you dream about being bold ♪ ♪ Every little bit day by day, it's falling into place ♪ ♪ With time you slip away ♪ ♪ Every little bit day by day, it's falling into place ♪ ♪ Hands up, anchors away ♪ ♪ Every little bit day by day, it's falling into place ♪ ♪ With your headstone engraved ♪ ♪ Every little bit day by day, it's falling into place ♪ ♪ It's falling into place ♪ ♪ Open up the pages you know you're meant to read ♪ ♪ Because every day that's wasted is a day you cannot keep ♪ ♪ You never know what you'll find when you read ♪ ♪ Between the lines ♪ ♪ Because everything that changes is the way ♪ ♪ It's meant to be ♪ (instrumental music) ♪ Taking day out it feels the same ♪ ♪ You know this is a game that you don't want to play ♪ ♪ Tired of staying in your lane ♪ ♪ When everything seems to get in your way ♪ ♪ Tired of walking down the row ♪ ♪ Sick of letting everybody else go ♪ ♪ Maybe they wouldn't mind a show ♪ ♪ You know you're gonna give it to 'em that's for sure ♪ ♪ Every little bit day by day, it's falling into place ♪ ♪ With time you slip away ♪ ♪ Every little bit day by day, it's falling into place ♪ ♪ Hands up, anchors away ♪ ♪ Every little bit day by day, it's falling into place ♪ ♪ With your headstone engraved ♪ ♪ Every little bit day by day, it's falling into place ♪ ♪ It's falling into place ♪ ♪ Open up the pages you know you're meant to read ♪ ♪ Because every day that's wasted is a day you cannot keep ♪ ♪ You never know what you'll find when you read ♪ ♪ Between the lines ♪ ♪ Because everything that changes is the way ♪ ♪ It's meant to... ♪ ♪ The way it's meant to... ♪ ♪ The way it's meant to be ♪ (instruments playing) ♪ Oh child ♪ ♪ I know it's hard to be patient ♪ ♪ When you're waiting ♪ ♪ For a glimpse of the sun in November ♪ ♪ Because it's a big bad world out there and I'm not ready ♪ ♪ To let you go ♪ ♪ So won't you sit here by the fire with me a little longer ♪ ♪ While I take your soul and throw it down ♪ ♪ Below the deep ocean of whispers under your basement door ♪ ♪ Cause I'm just trying to make sense of all these things ♪ ♪ I've never felt before ♪ ♪ As the ceiling's bowing down to the floor ♪ ♪ When I was a boy my father showed me these dark waters ♪ ♪ It's a day that I will always remember ♪ ♪ So won't you let me hold you safe in my arms ♪ ♪ And I'll keep you close behind the walls ♪ ♪ No noise ♪ ♪ No harm ♪ ♪ Cause there are so many reasons that I can find ♪ ♪ To stay right under the covers ♪ ♪ So why do you need to venture away ♪ ♪ When you've got everything that you've wanted ♪ ♪ And needed here ♪ ♪ But I know you've gotta be bold and venture down alone ♪ ♪ Below the deep ocean of whispers in your basement door ♪ ♪ Yeah you've gotta be bold and venture down below ♪ ♪ The deep ocean of whispers under your basement door ♪ ♪ Cause you're just trying to make sense of all these things ♪ ♪ You've never seen before ♪ ♪ As the ceiling's bowing down to the floor ♪ ♪ So take my words and do with them what you please ♪ ♪ Just don't tell me I didn't warn you ♪ ♪ Just don't tell me I didn't warn you of the seas ♪ (guitar playing) ♪ This is a lonesome song for two ♪ ♪ With no one to sing it back to you ♪ ♪ This is a message to carry on ♪ ♪ To the love my life that I lost in the blue ♪ ♪ Where did you go ♪ ♪ Oh if I'd known ♪ ♪ If only I'd known ♪ ♪ Well I turned my head ♪ ♪ Only for moment ♪ ♪ And the waves, they threw you overboard ♪ ♪ This is a lonely sailor's melody ♪ ♪ A howl in the dark and a cry through the night ♪ ♪ I'm so lonely can't you see ♪ ♪ My love won't you please come back to me ♪ ♪ Oh my darling ♪ ♪ All this time that I sing, I sing for you my dear ♪ ♪ I sing cause I need you near ♪ ♪ And I turned my head only for a moment ♪ ♪ And the waves, they threw you overboard ♪ ♪ Oh my darling ♪ ♪ You dance in the wind and you sing to the stars ♪ ♪ Oh my darling ♪ ♪ Will I see you again ♪ ♪ This is a sad sad tune you hear ♪ ♪ Cause the minutes take hours on this lonely sea ♪ ♪ I'm so tired I can hardly steer ♪ ♪ The sails above my only company ♪ ♪ In the distant fog I see the rising of the tide ♪ ♪ As I count my breath I feel the fear build up inside ♪ ♪ But in this moment clear I hear the faintest cry ♪ ♪ It says come away with me my dear ♪ ♪ It's time to say goodbye ♪ ♪ And I know ♪ ♪ That after the fight ♪ ♪ On this cold and dreary night ♪ ♪ The dark is swallowed by the light ♪ ♪ There you stand before my eyes ♪ ♪ My darling ♪ ♪ We dance in the wind and we sing to the stars ♪ ♪ Oh my darling ♪ ♪ How long has it been ♪ ♪ Oh my darling ♪ ♪ We dance in the wind and we sing to the stars ♪ ♪ Oh my brothers ♪ ♪ When I see you again ♪ ♪ This is beautiful song for two ♪ ♪ And my love will sing it back to you ♪ ♪ This is a message to carry on ♪ ♪ To the brothers I wait for, I wait here for you ♪ This next song is called "Your Eyes."

♪ There's a fog in your eyes ♪ ♪ And it lifts me into the sky ♪ ♪ There's a weight upon your shoulders ♪ ♪ And it leaves me dry ♪ ♪ But I don't mind ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Yeah, I'll be fine ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Everything's all right ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do do do do ♪ ♪ There's a rain in my bedroom ♪ ♪ And it keeps me up at night ♪ ♪ There's this pain in my chest ♪ ♪ And it leads me to quake in fright ♪ ♪ But I don't mind ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Because I find ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do do do do ♪ ♪ When I look in your eyes ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Everything's alright ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Everything's all right ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do do do do ♪ ♪ Nah nah nah nah ♪ ♪ Do do do do do do ♪ (instruments playing) ♪ Taking apart the heart, terrified, justify the reasons why ♪ ♪ Baby don't you want to find out what lies inside ♪ ♪ Digging my grave by keeping the peace ♪ ♪ By giving everyone a part of me ♪ ♪ As I wait for the watcher to see ♪ ♪ While we mediate we propagate the solemn path ♪ ♪ Of a lonely soldier ♪ ♪ Raising his arms to punish them as a result ♪ ♪ Of somebody else's orders ♪ ♪ Afraid of everything that could rejuvenate a light ♪ ♪ Inside his armor ♪ ♪ The bell of the clock tower rings ♪ ♪ Oh and you take from me ♪ ♪ Things I've never seen ♪ ♪ Things I never knew I'd need ♪ ♪ And I've seen you in my dreams ♪ ♪ And not the good ones ♪ ♪ Cause we travel the world, the land and the sea ♪ ♪ To make your discoveries ♪ ♪ Just a shell of a man, the absence of a plan ♪ ♪ Our dreams in the palm of your hand ♪ ♪ Well maybe I'm tearing apart the old dog playing tricks ♪ ♪ Play your part ♪ ♪ Time and time yet again I wait for the day you say ♪ ♪ To shoot the stars ♪ ♪ We're breaking our backs and bearing the scars ♪ ♪ Your never there when we're sinking hard ♪ ♪ Yet you are the captain of the sea ♪ ♪ Well now maybe everything aligns, maybe it's time for me ♪ ♪ To realize ♪ ♪ I've been riding along a passenger with a ghost asleep ♪ ♪ At the wheel ♪ ♪ Coasting in complacency is easy ♪ ♪ But sometimes not choosing is making a choice ♪ ♪ Oh and you take from me ♪ ♪ Things I've never seen ♪ ♪ Things I never knew I'd need ♪ ♪ And I've seen you in my dreams ♪ ♪ And not the good ones ♪ ♪ Cause we travel the world, the land and the sea ♪ ♪ To make your discoveries ♪ ♪ Just a shell of a man, the absence of a plan ♪ ♪ Our dreams in the palm of your hand ♪ (instruments playing) This next song is called "Deserve You."

(instruments playing) ♪ You know it takes me by surprise ♪ ♪ Cause when I close my eyes it's you I see right by my side ♪ ♪ Till the end ♪ ♪ But still I sit and bide my time ♪ ♪ And I make my bed of lies while you wait patiently beside ♪ ♪ It's alright you said ♪ ♪ So you said that you don't mind ♪ ♪ That the promises I'd left to be broken still remain alive ♪ ♪ Inside your head ♪ ♪ You're headed toward the light ♪ ♪ And I will make damn sure that you never get there ♪ ♪ If it's the last thing I do before I die ♪ ♪ I don't deserve you ♪ ♪ No you deserve better than me ♪ ♪ And when the storm brews high and proud ♪ ♪ When the earth collides and oceans rise ♪ ♪ You hold that candle high for me to find ♪ ♪ For some reason you hang on tight ♪ ♪ And you justify and reason why ♪ ♪ I let you down time and time again ♪ ♪ In a place among the pines I find that I'm looking for air ♪ ♪ And when it finally comes to pass ♪ ♪ I find that you, you're not here ♪ ♪ Though I was never there for you my love ♪ ♪ You saw it through ♪ ♪ Now that you've gone I see so clearly ♪ ♪ I was the one who needed you ♪ ♪ Oh you know that I needed you ♪ ♪ I don't deserve you ♪ ♪ No you deserve better than me ♪ ♪ I don't deserve you ♪ ♪ No you deserve better than me ♪ Thanks again to KSPS for having us out today, it's been a lot of fun.

Thanks for listening.

We got one more song called "Heels Above My Head."

(instrumental playing) ♪ Climbing up to the mountain baby you and me ♪ ♪ Oh baby just you and me ♪ ♪ Take a look into my eyes, tell me what do you see ♪ ♪ Tell me baby what do you see ♪ ♪ Cause I can't catch my breath ♪ ♪ Cause I'm slipping with my heels above my head ♪ ♪ Above my head ♪ ♪ On the way down to the river do you pull me from my feet ♪ ♪ Do you pull me down off my feet ♪ ♪ You take a look into my mind, tell me what do you see ♪ ♪ Tell me baby what do you see ♪ ♪ Cause I can't catch my step ♪ ♪ Cause I'm slipping with my heels above my head ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Above my head ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Lying on the ground my body covered with dust ♪ ♪ My body is covered with dust ♪ ♪ Everybody falls down sometimes, so you pick yourself up ♪ ♪ Don't you tell me to pick it on up ♪ ♪ I'm hanging by a thread ♪ ♪ Cause I'm slipping with my heels above my head ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Above my head ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ One, two, three.

(instrumental playing) (upbeat music)