It’s no secret that under-the-radar singer-songwriter Mark Mulcahy has fans among the CoS staff. We’ve prominently featured Mulcahy’s work in “Five Songs You’ve Never Heard Before,” the television theme song edition of List Em’ Carefully, and in two Miscellaneous Masterpieces including Mike Roffman’s recent write-up on Miracle Legion. So, if Mark Mulcahy still isn’t a household name, it certainly isn’t due to a lack of effort on our part. That being said, we still haven’t managed to post a video of Mark performing live. Until now.

This video captures Mulcahy playing “Hey Self-Defeater”—the first track off his exceptional Fathering album—at The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, Connecticut. This performance is a prime example of how Mulcahy’s unique vocal delivery adds incredible depth and feeling to spare but intricate arrangements.

Mark is a difficult act to catch on tour, particularly if you’re not a resident of the northeastern United States. So, enjoy “Hey Self-Defeater” and be sure to check out some of his other live performances on YouTube. He’s one of the best songwriters around. Ok, that’s my opinion and everybody else agrees…

“Hey Self-Defeater”