By Scout Nicholson / The Jambar
Musician Mark Whalen has been creating music for over a decade, and added to his discography with the release of an EP titled “Real Fun” on May 16. The record features a total of five songs, with his most popular track on it being “Bobby Wheeler.”
Whalen was born and raised in Michigan, in a town outside of Detroit. From the start, he said his parents were infatuated with music.
“Growing up was definitely pretty musical … my dad played the fiddle, and my mom played a bunch of instruments,” Whalen said.
In fifth grade, he picked up his first instrument, the double bass. For his 11th birthday, he received his first bass guitar. Whalen said he found enjoyment playing the instrument and joined a band with his friends, which led to his future career.
“It was really fun being in a band. And being young, you know, it was a great free feeling. I still feel that same feeling. But when you’re young, [you have a] ‘I can conquer the universe’ kind of vibe. It’s cool,” Whalen said.
Whalen said the mindset continued throughout his high school years, where he created music with his friends. He released his first EP, “Someone to Be,” at 17-years-old, when he was a senior in high school.
After high school, Whalen attended Wayne State University in Detroit, where he majored in audio engineering. When he was a sophomore, Whalen said he released his debut album titled “Morning Glory,” which features some of his top songs, “Oh Susan” and “Happen Twice.” These songs have a combined 12 million streams on Spotify.
“I’m proud of [my older songs]. I love the music that I put out. I love the fact that people can just listen to it, dig it, enjoy it and get something out of it,” Whalen said.
His last project before “Real Fun” was an album called “Hey How Are You, Good to See You,” which was a collaboration with his friend Niko Bokos.
Although Whalen isn’t signed to a record label, all of his work is self-produced in a recording studio that he co-owns along with his friend, Max Bourgeois.
His company, Redshift Recording Studios, opened in 2024 and is located in the Detroit Metropolitan area. Whalen said he extends the studio’s services to anyone who wants help creating music.
“This is where I record all of my own music and my friends’ music. But, we are also open to anyone who wants to come in and needs help producing or recording their own music,” Whalen said.
After an almost three-year hiatus, Whalen felt that it was time to release new music.
“Between the records that I did with [Bokos] in 2022 and 2025, I didn’t put out any music, but I was still writing a lot of music,” Whalen said. “[Then] 2025 hit, and I was feeling like it’s time to put something out. I’ve just been sitting on music for so long.”
Whalen already has a new album in the works, which will be a sequel to his 2022 album “Hey How Are You, Good to See You,” alongside Bokos.
“We’re finishing up. So, we’re very hopeful to put it out sometime in early 2026,” Whalen said. Whalen’s music is available on Spotify and Apple Music. For more on Redshift Studios, visit redshiftrecording.com.
