Mark Edward Kozelek (born January 24, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer and occasional actor. He is known as the vocalist and primary recording artist of the indie folk act Sun Kil Moon and founding member of the indie rock band Red House Painters, with whom he recorded six studio albums from 1988 until 2001.
In 1996, Kozelek recorded the band's fifth studio album, Songs for a Blue Guitar, mostly alone. The release of the band's final studio album, Old Ramon (2001), was delayed for three years. In the interim, Kozelek recorded both an album and an EP of AC/DC cover songs.
Reconvening with Koutsos and Vessel, the trio continued performing under the new name of Sun Kil Moon, releasing their debut album, Ghosts of the Great Highway, in 2003. Inspired by classical guitar music, Kozelek recorded Sun Kil Moon's fourth studio album, Admiral Fell Promises (2010), as a solo act and continued to record mostly alone on its follow-up, Among the Leaves (2012), and later Perils from the Sea and Mark Kozelek & Desertshore, both released in 2013.
In 2014, Sun Kil Moon's sixth studio album, Benji, was released to widespread critical acclaim and increased exposure with its follow-up, Universal Themes, featuring lengthy compositions and stream-of-consciousness lyrics. In 2016, Kozelek released a collaborative studio album with Jesu, titled Jesu/Sun Kil Moon.
Across his work in Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters, and his own solo material, Kozelek has released thirty-one studio albums, with his most recent being All the Best, Isaac Hayes (2020). A number of commentators have described him as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Contents
Career
Kozelek was born on January 24, 1967 and raised in Massillon, Ohio. In his teenage years, he led a band named God Forbid. Upon relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, he met drummer Anthony Koutsos. After the pair moved once again to San Francisco, California, Red House Painters formed with the addition of guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel. From 1992 to 1996, Red House Painters released a series of acclaimed albums, showcasing Kozelek's intense, highly autobiographical songs.
However, Kozelek's parting with the record label 4AD, followed by a major label merger which left Red House Painters' 1998 album Old Ramon on the shelf, proved highly frustrating and stifled the group's momentum.
In 2000, he released the solo EP Rock 'n' Roll Singer, which featured three original songs as well as covers of John Denver's "Around and Around" and three AC/DC songs ("Rock 'n' Roll Singer," "Bad Boy Boogie," and "You Ain't Got a Hold on Me"). Two of the AC/DC cover versions on Rock 'n' Roll Singer were radical re-arrangements of the originals which removed the Bon Scott-penned lyrics from their hard rock context and placed them into gentle, acoustic "folk ballad" settings.
Kozelek expanded on this idea in 2001, releasing a full-length album composed solely of AC/DC covers titled What's Next to the Moon.
Sun Kil Moon debuted with Ghosts of the Great Highway in 2003, and also features former RHP members Jerry Vessel and Anthony Koutsos as well as new collaborators Geoff Stanfield (formerly of Black Lab) and Tim Mooney of American Music Club. Their follow-up effort appeared in 2005 on Kozelek's newly formed label, Caldo Verde Records. Titled Tiny Cities, the album is made up entirely of covers of songs by Modest Mouse. Once again, Kozelek's cover versions varied greatly from the originals. In a February 2014 interview with Seattle's The Stranger, Kozelek commented that he's "never heard from Modest Mouse" as to what they think of the record.
In 2006, Kozelek was invited by Toronto indie rock label Paper Bag Records to exclusively contribute to their See You on the Moon! Songs for Kids of All Ages compilation with his original song "Leo and Luna." Then in November 2006, Kozelek released a live album titled Little Drummer Boy Live.
Acting
Kozelek has also dabbled in acting. Friend and director Cameron Crowe cast him in his film Almost Famous (2000) as Larry Fellows (the bass player in Stillwater) and in Vanilla Sky (2001) as a clubgoer who mocks Tom Cruise's character. In 2005, he appeared in Steve Martin's film Shopgirl, playing a musician who befriends and mentors Jason Schwartzman's character. Kozelek also performed "Lily and Parrots" (a Sun Kil Moon song) live in the film.
Kozelek appears as himself, and contributed to the soundtrack to Paolo Sorrentino's 2015 film, Youth.
Controversies
Hopscotch Music Festival
On September 5, 2014, during a Sun Kil Moon performance at Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, Kozelek called the noisy crowd "fucking hillbillies" and told them to "shut the fuck up" or else he would leave. He traded insults with the crowd before saying that his previous comments were meant as a joke. Allison Hussey of Indy Week first reported the incident, and linked to audio of Kozelek berating the audience. On September 9, 2014, Kozelek's label Caldo Verde began selling t-shirts with "All You Fuckin' Hillbillies Shut The Fuck Up" printed on the front.
The War on Drugs
On September 14, 2014, Sun Kil Moon performed at the Ottawa Folk Festival in Ottawa, Canada, and their set overlapped with that of American rock band The War on Drugs. Kozelek complained of noise from The War on Drugs' set bleeding over to his stage and told the audience, "I hate that beer commercial lead-guitar shit". He introduced his next song as being titled "The War on Drugs Can Suck My Fucking Dick".
On September 17, 2014, Kozelek wrote a statement on the Sun Kil Moon website which Pitchfork later reported on September 29, 2014, as being an apology to The War on Drugs. On September 30, 2014, Kozelek made another post in response to Pitchfork and Stereogum in which he clarified that his statement had in fact not been an apology to the band, saying that he does not "apologize for stage banter". He also challenged the band to let him join them onstage at their upcoming concert on October 6, 2014, at The Fillmore to play a "hilarious song" Kozelek wrote entitled "War On Drugs: Suck My Cock/Sun Kil Moon: Go Fuck Yourself". On October 6, 2014, Sun Kil Moon released "War on Drugs: Suck My Cock", a seven-minute "diss track" targeting The War on Drugs and featuring commentary about the Hopscotch and Ottawa festival incidents. In the song Kozelek also targeted Indy Week journalist Allison Hussey, calling her "some spoiled bitch rich kid blogger brat".
On October 28, 2014, War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel revealed in an interview that he was contacted privately by Kozelek to join them at The Fillmore before Kozelek posted the challenge online to the public, but that Kozelek responded that "the offer has expired" before Granduciel had time to respond. On October 30, 2014, Sun Kil Moon released a second diss track entitled "Adam Granofsky Blues", a spoken word track featuring Kozelek mockingly reciting Granduciel's comments.
Sexual misconduct allegations
In August 2020, in an article published by Pitchfork, Kozelek was alleged to have engaged in sexual misconduct with a woman named Sarah Golden, as well as two other unidentified women. On August 17, Kozelek denied the allegations against him and stated that he had retained a law firm to "investigate and pursue as necessary any claims against anyone participating to defame me".
On March 25, 2021, Pitchfork published another article on seven more women who accused Kozelek of sexual misconduct. Several of these women alleged that, in separate incidents, Kozelek brought them back to a hotel room, promising them that the encounter would not be sexual, before later emerging from the bathroom unclothed or in underwear and then masturbating. He then allegedly groped some of these women despite repeated requests to stop, then repeatedly pressured them to have sexual intercourse with him until they either left or had sex with him. Pitchfork reported that Kozelek denied the allegations in a letter issued to them by his attorney.
In May 2026, the Seahorse Tavern in Halifax, Nova Scotia cancelled a Sun Kil Moon concert set to happen on September 15, 2026 after receiving backlash to booking Kozelek due to the allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Discography
Solo albums
What's Next to the Moon (2001)
Like Rats (2013)
Perils from the Sea (2013) (with Jimmy LaValle)
Mark Kozelek & Desertshore (2013) (with Desertshore)
Mark Kozelek Sings Christmas Carols (2014)
Dreams of Childhood (2015) (with Nicolás Pauls)
Mark Kozelek Sings Favorites (2016)
Yellow Kitchen (2017) (with Sean Yeaton)
Mark Kozelek with Ben Boye and Jim White (2017) (with Ben Boye and Jim White)
Mark Kozelek (2018)
Joey Always Smiled (2019) (with Petra Haden)
Mark Kozelek with Ben Boye and Jim White 2 (2020) (with Ben Boye and Jim White)
All the Best, Isaac Hayes (2020)
EPs
Rock 'n' Roll Singer (2000)
Down in the Willow Garden (2015)
Night Talks (2017)
Lovin‘ You (2021)
Compilations
If You Want Blood (2001)
Nights LP (2008)