Having just finished touring the US and Canada with The Darkness, rising Irish rocker Mark Daly kicks starts 2026 with the release of his new single “In the Dark” — a high energy rock anthem about letting your guard down.
Hailing from Cork, Ireland, Mark Daly is a powerful singer-songwriter known for his raw, energetic blend of modern and classic rock. Renowned for explosive live performances, Daly has toured with acclaimed artists including Richie Kotzen, Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche), Candlebox, and Mr. Big, building a loyal following in the U.S. and beyond. Mark just completed a 27-show tour across the U.S. and Canada in direct support of The Darkness.
Daly is signed to One Opportunity Records and has released multiple EPs — Nothing to Lose and Drop Dead — along with the genre-bending Devil’s Arms LP, recorded at the legendary Sonic Ranch Studios with Grammy nominated producer Brian Virtue (Jane’s Addiction, Audioslave, 30 Seconds to Mars), which also included the track Pieces, featuring Emily Armstrong, the new singer of Linkin Park.
Entering 2026, Daly continues to deliver his most honest and compelling songwriting to date, combining swagger filled rock anthems with deeply personal storytelling.
We caught up with a Mark for an interview which you can check out below:
Fan Reception for ‘In The Dark’
The release of ‘In The Dark’ has been unreal—hands down the most positive feedback we’ve ever gotten on a single. People seem to be enjoying the high-energy vibe and that little bit of 2000s nostalgia; streams have been picking up fast, and no doubt the shoutout from Justin Hawkins on his podcast helped massively, which felt surreal. It’s blown us away how much it’s resonating, especially right after the tour.
Shooting the Nashville Video
Shooting the music video for ‘In The Dark’ in Nashville was the most fun we’ve ever had on set—I hope everyone finds it as hilarious as we do. We ditched the serious stuff to show our ridiculous personalities while still capturing that upbeat spirit of the track. It’s always amazing to just be in Nashville, but extra special that we got to shoot a video there.
EP/Album Plans This Year
Yeah, we’re deep into finishing the next album this year—it’s a big goal for 2026 alongside festival slots and more live shows. I’m heading back to Texas with the guys in a couple of weeks to wrap the new record with producer Matt Noveskey from Blue October (one of my favorite bands ever). We’ve just been releasing singles, but we’ll have the full record out later in the year—very excited for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on.
UK Touring Soon
No firm UK dates locked in yet, but we’re definitely planning on getting some shows together in the UK & Ireland soon. All of our dates have been in the US over the last few years, so it would be incredible to tour closer to home and show everyone what we’re all about.
Touring with The Darkness
Touring the US and Canada with The Darkness on their 27-date run was a game-changer—we enjoyed every single minute of it and were blown away by how well their fans took to us. I’d consider us a high-energy rock band, and we give absolutely everything we’ve got each night on stage—and we got that energy back from the crowd each night too. I have to say we learned a lot watching such an amazing band play each night, and I really hope to hit the road with them again soon.
Dream Artist Collaboration
There are so many artists I’d love to work with. I know the Irish scene is bursting with talent right now, and I really love writing duet songs like the one I did with Emily Armstrong of Linkin Park, so right now I’d have to pick CMAT. I love her music, passion, and unbelievable vocals, so I think we’d write a pretty badass song together.