Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is a musician from Eagle Mountain, Utah. He describes his genre of music as LDS Mormon Christian Rock. On his official website, he explains, “Listening to this music doesn’t require parental approval. It’s a bit of clean rebellion. It keeps your outlook up and your hope alive. It’s got strong drums and screaming guitars. It pumps you up and drives your life. It’s a hunger for exploration. It chooses the right and returns with honor. It’s music you don’t have to confess to your bishop. It’s not your parents’ “Saturday’s Warrior.” It’s “A Joyful Noise.””

Mark has been writing and producing songs for many years. All his songs are about life, with most having connection to his faith as a Christian and a member of the LDS Church. He says, “I’m mostly a rocker but like to experiment with styles.” Mark recalls hearing the song “Like unto Us” from the album that CES put out for the Seminary curriculum in High School and not particularly liking it because he preferred listening to rockers like Rush, Yes, Nazareth, and Kansas. However, he was excited that someone was producing LDS music that was not a hymn.

He performed in several bands in high school and early college days, including a short stint with a local Christian band called “Asaph.” That gig ended when the other band members found out that he was a Mormon. He said, “They sat me down and told me that I wouldn’t work out. They loved me and cared for me, though, and were worried about my soul, so they gave me some anti-Mormon books to help me see the light. Obviously, it didn’t work. The nice thing about it, though, was that they also introduced me to the sounds of Petra and Rez Band.” Being let go from the band did not discourage him. He believed that if the mainstream Christian world was making Rock music work, he could make it work for the Mormon world.

He later decided to serve a full-time mission in the Honduras, Tegucigalpa Mission. All the while, the idea of making LDS Rock music was taking shape in his mind. Soon after, Mark moved to Utah where he met and married his wife, Jodi. In between other jobs, he kept involved in the Salt Lake music and recording industry, making friends and contacts, and slowly acquiring equipment and skills. Finally, in 1993, he released a cassette of 10 handpicked songs called A Joyful Noise.  Then, in early 1999, he launched the “Joyful Noise” website and began releasing those old recordings – one song each month. He said, “Some of those were really only demo quality, but it really helped me build a body of work and start to establish a name. Now, songs don’t come as often, but they’re much better recorded.”

After four years in the making, his first CD, One United Generation, was released in February 2005. It was comprised of some of his best work to that point. He remarked, “I thought about re-doing some of the old songs, but it just felt better to move forward. The newer tunes were better written, and I was excited about getting them recorded.” Since then, Mark has continued to write new songs, completing one every month or so, and releasing it as a single. He says, “”I like to draw from lots of different styles and blend it all together into an overall classic rock sort of sound. It keeps it all from sounding the same, but still keeps it rockin!”

Mark Hansen’s music is “LDS music that deals with living the gospel in a troubled world, without preaching or condescending.” It is music that “speaks to the Mormon youth and the young at heart with a driving beat and a rock energy that motivates.”

Here are a few of Mark Hansen’s songs that you might enjoy listening to: “Build It On The Rock” ft Darren Howell, “Who’ll Save My Soul” ft Darren Howell, and “Every Blessing” ft Sam Cosper.

Mark Hansen’s Official Website

Follow Mark Hansen

Recent Posts