Lyrical Muse

Gary Marks returns today with new single “Crossbeams,” continuing a songwriting journey that has quietly unfolded over more than five decades. The track offers the first clear glimpse into his upcoming album Crossroads, due April 18 via Lantern Heights Records and selected as an official 2026 Record Store Day release.

Built on gentle instrumentation and deliberate pacing, “Crossbeams” leans into reflection rather than dramatic spectacle. Marks allows the song to unfold patiently, anchoring it with a central line that captures its essence: “Choose your memories very carefully… they’re the crossbeams of the world you’re living in. They frame and form who you’re bound to be.”

The resulting composition unfolds with quiet confidence, feeling intimate and grounded in lived experience while showing that subtlety can carry more weight than volume.

Marks first emerged in the 1970s alongside musicians who would go on to shape modern jazz, including John Scofield, Paul McCandless, Art Lande, David Samuels, and Mark Isham.

And while his early vinyl releases developed a loyal collector following, Marks stepped away from the traditional industry spotlight and continued writing and recording independently, staying committed to craft over visibility.

That independent path now leads to Crossroads, a chronological collection tracing his songwriting from 1976 to the 2020s, including nine previously unheard tracks. The album brings decades of material into a cohesive narrative, presenting a catalogue defined by consistency and artistic brilliance.

“Crossbeams” sets the tone for what Crossroads promises: a reflective, carefully assembled record shaped by memory, time, and a songwriter still guided by quiet conviction.

Listen to “Crossbeams” below:

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