The much-anticipated sophomore single release from Mark Addison Chandler was released on Feb. 22. “I Still Get Her Mail” tells the all-too-familiar story of a man who has lost a woman he loved, but occasionally must deal with her memory because — you guessed it — he still receives mail for her.
Chandler has become known in Nashville songwriting circles for being honest and telling real-life stories in his songs. Songs that deal with the struggles of divorced men, single dads and the likes.
“The first reason I cut this song is that I relate to it. That’s paramount for me with my music. But I think everyone that’s loved and lost will probably relate to “I Still Get Her Mail.” We’ve all had that relationship that seems to take forever to move past,” Chandler says. “And there’s that one thing that keeps surfacing every time we think we’re strong again that reminds us of that person and undoes all the progress we’ve made. Maybe it’s a scent, a song, or a place that brings the memory flooding back in.”
Unlike his first single release “Second Chance,” which is a love song to a future, haven’t-met-yet wife, this song deals with the emotions behind a heartbreak.
“I wanted to follow up my single “Second Chance” with “I Still Get Her Mail” because the two songs are on the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum,” Chandler says. “This is country music after all, and I believe if we’re going to honestly paint the human experience, we can’t shy away from the sadder realities of the human condition. I think it’s a beautifully sad song.”
Chandler is proud to have been able to cut this song, one he calls “great.” Along with his co-writers Arlos Smith, Ashe Underwood and Davis Corley, Chandler knows this song has as much potential to reach his fan base and many others. It was really dumb-luck that all four of them were in the room to write this song.
“Arlos, Davis and I had already kicked this idea around for a month or two, and as luck would have it, just as we were pulling out the guitars to finally write it over at Mucho Love, Ashe popped his head into the room,” he says. “Arlos suggested he stay, and of course Davis and I didn’t object. I think it turned out perfect. I’m really proud of this one.”
Review:
When this song was pitched to me for review, as soon as I saw the title, it excited me. Before the first note even hits, you know you’re going to be in for a sad one, and some of the best country songs are the sad ones, so I was already excited before hitting play.
Chandler’s voice comes through rough and vulnerable, as he delivers the opening lines of the story he is about to paint. The opening line, “Every morning I wake up, and I still pour two cups of coffee,” excellently sets the tone and sets up for the gut-punching chorus.
The hook of the chorus, “When I’m close to letting go, it happens without fail, every now and then, I still get her mail,” is so-well written; straight to the point, and it packs a punch.
The powerful instrumentation, specifically the drums and keys, build the emotion of the song up another notch, and mixed with Chandler’s vocal, create a powerful, emotional song.
With one successful single release under his belt and another surely coming with “I Still Get Her Mail,” keep your eyes on Mark Addison Chandler, he’s one of the good ones!
ABOUT MARK ADDISON CHANDLER
Mark Addison Chandler believes in telling the stories of our lives while simultaneously strumming a six-string. Country music has always been about the story, and Mark’s goal every time he weaves a song together is to be honest and real.
Retired from the U.S. Army with three tours of duty during the War on Terror, Mark knows a thing or two about life. While the strenuous demands of the military prevented his pursuit of music for much of his military career, but he began writing songs and reconnected to his musical roots just before retiring. Since that time, he’s penned songs that have topped charts in Texas, on iTunes and CMT.
With a single released in 2018 that has garnered more than 100,000 streams independently, Mark is a rising star in the singer-songwriter world of country music.
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