Inword Biography

“Mark Mahoney was born in the town of London, Ontario in Canada. From a young age, he showed a strong passion for music and the arts. So much that he auditioned for Lester B. Pearson school for the arts in 1988 and was accepted. It was in high school where he found a deep affinity for reggae and world music listening to the revolutionary thought provoking lyrics of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh & Steel Pulse. He was fascinated by the offbeat rhythm and structure of reggae and decided to try some of his material in the reggae “One Drop” style. He fell in love and was eager to learn more about this unique genre. He started his first reggae band called “The Invigorators” which later evolved into the band “Milk & Honey”, apply of his name Mark Mahoney. Milk & Honey recorded a self titled album in 2001 in Nelson B.C which quickly spread amongst fans and friends in the Kootenay community. Milk & Honey played world reggae festival “Koots Roots” in the same year.

In 2002, he attended Montreal Concordia University in the religious studies program. The further exploration of religion and spirituality echoed in the theme of his song writing and he started the band “Inword” in 2003. Inword has performed at Koots Roots festival 2007, Montreal International Reggae festival 2008, Transamazoniennes Fest in French Guyana in 2011, opened for reggae legend Clinton Fearon, roots group Midnite, singer Tarrus Riley and Ziggy Marley at the Montreal International Jazz fest in 2012.

Inword’s first album “One Seed” was released independently in 2005. One Seed was followed by the album “Purify” in 2009. Purify was a more professional album due to better production and the change of the drum and bass section. Montreal drummer “Jahsun”, known locally for the musical improvisation group Kalmunity was a welcomed addition to the band as well as seasoned reggae bass player Neil “Bass One” Benskin. With these excellent musicians as well as the extremely talented Joseph Shanahan on keyboards and Mark Mahoney on vocal and guitar, Inword as gained a loyal following in Montreal with a solid reputation.

The aim of Inword is to express a spiritual vibration through conscious reggae music in the hope of inspiring people from all walks of life. The light of a positive message is needed in these times of materialism. Original songs are inspired from the ancient scripture of many spiritual traditions and through personal meditation on the depths of human existence.

In the wake of Bob Marley’s legacy people from all over the world have been inspired to play the genre of reggae music. It is a style that is known for it’s deep spiritual and cultural roots as well as strong political messages. These powerful themes have reached beyond the limits of colour class and creed, known in many circles as the “music of the people”.

These very aspects have led to the formation of the band Inword. Inword is a spiritually centered band that is known for performing a unique style of roots reggae. Since 2003 they have built a loyal following in Montreal, Quebec, due to their original sound which surpasses the usual monotonous critique of the reggae genre. With influences ranging from stars like Burning Spear and Alpha Blondy, to soulful singers like Ben Harper and Fela Kuti. With members hailing from Canada, Haiti, Barbados, and Antigua, Inword displays a diverse array of talent with a potent delivery.