Mark Holden unveils Now & Then & Shirley MacLaine on 28 August

Mark Holden will release his first full-length album in decades on all digital platforms on the 28th of August through his own label, Dream Dealers, with MGM.

The album features Mark's next single, a cover of Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda).

Mark Holden first caught the public eye in 1974. Now, more than fifty years later, the former teen heartthrob, hit songwriter, producer and ‘Idol’ judge has re-emerged with Now & Then & Shirley MacLaine - an extraordinary album of new and re-imagined songs.

It is indeed the kind of record only made possible by a lifetime in showbusiness – a document of dizzying highs and devastating lows, delivered by a voice of wisdom and experience that has maintained just enough of the innocence and optimism required to do it all over again, with a ‘new’ voice. A post-cancer treatment voice.

The clues to this album’s contents are all in the title: Now refers to Mark’s recent creative burst, inspired by reconnections with old friends and spurred on by new cross-cultural and generational collaboration. Then, on the other hand, it applies to the reimagining of four unheard songs Mark penned decades ago in his working-songwriter days. As for Shirley MacLaine, well, he conjured her up on a trip to the USA via Hawaii.

All of Mark’s choices on the record prioritise communicating feelings over conforming to genre norms and limitations.

In his own words, Mark says, “This record is the postcard to my future grandchildren. It’s a box of photographs. A story about family”.

Somehow, he has found a way to make a reworked Tom Waits classic and a haunting Anthony Callea cameo sit comfortably within a track list that includes disco remixes, neo-spirituals and beautiful love songs.

Mark has released two original singles from the album to date: ‘Every Little Thing’ and ‘Shirley MacLaine’.

His first single ‘Every Little Thing’ signalled his comeback and was featured when Mark’s visited The Morning Show on Channel 7 in July. The song also debuted on 2DayFM Breakfast with Nath and Emma.

The next single to come into focus from the album is the cover of Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda). The song is a tribute to Matilda Bee Britvan, who was one of 15 people who lost their lives on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach. Mark Holden grappled with the immensity of the tragedy along with millions of Australians. He found himself listening to Tom Waits’ song Tom Traubert’s Blues and its chorus, Waltzing Matilda, and ‘became’ Tom Traubert at Bondi. After receiving support and appreciation from her family in helping preserve Matilda’s legacy, the track was laid down.

Mark chose to use AI to capture the emotion in the visuals for the accompanying video, which he felt was necessary to convey the emotion behind it and the sensitivity it deserved.

"This song holds an incredibly deep and personal place on the album, and one I believe carries a story that deserves to be told. I want to give a massive thank you to the Britvan family for trusting me to honour their daughter's legacy. May Matilda Bee’s spirit live on."

Mark Holden 'Now & Then & Shirley MacLaine'
Release Date: Friday 28 August 2026
https://markholdenmusic.com/

It’s fair to say that Mark Holden has come a long way since his days as the carnation-carrying pop star in the fledgling years of Countdown. His early Aussie success as a singer and soap star took him to the USA, where he signed a major-label deal while becoming a late-night talk-show guest and a fixture on the glamorous Hollywood party scene. Songwriting stole his focus through the 80s and 90s, during which time he penned hits for Motown legends The Temptations, dance-queen Kathy Sledge and pop-songstress Belinda Carlisle.  

In the late 90s, Mark reinvented himself as the manager, producer and writing partner of Aussie teen sensation Vanessa Amorosi, once more scaling the charts with now-iconic songs such as Shine and Absolutely Everybody. This was followed by a return to Australian TV screens, which included a tumultuous but memorable tenure as a judge on the early seasons on Australian Idol and a bold, if ultimately unsuccessful stint on Dancing with the Stars.

A retreat from television, a cancer diagnosis and a return to school (to finish a law degree in his 50s) punctuated the 2010s for Mark. He recovered, became a barrister and spent several years in and out of Melbourne courtrooms before returning to the stage with a one-man theatre show – a self-deprecating and autobiographical piece that drew rave reviews at The Adelaide Cabaret Festival. 

It was that show, and particularly the research that went into it, which began Mark’s journey back to writing original music for himself – a journey that has culminated in this new album. As he learned his family’s history as early European settlers, Mark was drawn to Victorian Indigenous culture, where activist, artist, and Gunditjmara Elder Richard J Frankland welcomed him. The process of co-writing and producing Richard’s Discovering Leerpeen Mara album was transformative. A rejuvenated Mark reached out to old mates like LA songwriter Richard Feldman, and new ones like the furiously creative young producer Tyler Sunshine.

In fact, the cast of characters Mark put together to make this record was extensive – each individual tasked with helping to bring sensitivity and cohesion to Mark’s broad vision. It was lovingly pieced together in studios from Los Angeles to Northcote, and stands as a testament to Mark Holden’s status as a serious songwriter and producer.