Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark (Sultan) Baksh.
Mark, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started playing music at the age of 6. My family is from a country called Guyana in South America. I was born in Brooklyn, NY but moved to Smyrna, GA not long after. Ever since then it has been a very therapeutic adventure for me. I started learning the language of music in middle school when I enrolled into band class, that continued in high school and college as a marching snare drummer and wind ensemble percussionist. It wasn’t until 2010 where I first picked up a guitar, and my entire self-purpose changed.
I realized I wanted to channel this instrument for the rest of my life. Once I reached 23 and had learned the instrument a little more and paired it with my voice, I finally felt confident enough that I could be a musician/live entertainer for the rest of my life. I started writing music in college but wanted to build a larger catalog before starting my own group. I started playing freelance in other bands but was never given the proper creative role that I saw my future being most successful with.
November 11th, 2017 I created the band, Fux. Our first performance was February 15th, 2018 opening for our friends Mungion based out of Chicago at the Vinyl/Centerstage/Loft in Atlanta. Since then we have shows opening for many great acts, our own headlining shows, music festival slots, and after parties for some big acts like Umphrey’s McGee, Sound Tribe Sector 9, and Papadosio, with many more to come. Umphrey’s McGee has always been the biggest inspiration to me alongside Phish, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Steely Dan, and the Beatles, and many other classic rock bands.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The moment you decide that you are going to devote your life to music and live entertainment is always a tough conversation with yourself, at least for me. Realizing that you will live a vastly different life than what is portrayed as “normal” takes a leap of faith to agree with.
I have always been a confident person, but that decision was the scariest moment of my life. When you have the support like I do though, anything is possible. My family, my friends, and my loving girlfriend are owed a lot for making this journey as smooth as possible.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Fux – what should we know?
My band, Fux, is a rock and roll group with sporadic improvisation. I am a guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the group. The main reason I got into music was to spread the love more than anything. I feel that the negativity in the world can shade and diminish all the positivity we have, and I find music and live performances to help people get away from their troubles and just be in complete bliss.
I’m so proud of all the support we have already had from our fans and friends, especially being such a new group. We really hit the ground running, playing so many shows and for so many people. We have already hit the road to a few other states like North Carolina and Alabama with many more soon to come.
I believe what makes Fux different is our high energy and our confidence in improvisation at any moment. When you come to a Fux show you get something completely different every time, except you will dance your pants off constantly.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have had many mentors along this musical journey. Jake Cinninger, Joel Cummins, Brendan Bayliss, and Ryan Stasik from Umphrey’s McGee, along with their entire team have helped me in more ways than they know musically and helping me grow as an individual. Gabriel Marin from Consider the Source has taught me many tricks that I use every day in my playing.
Luke Klaer, a phenomenal drummer, has always had my back and supported me since we met and also holds down the rhythm section for Fux. Reade “Icculus” Alexander and I met when we were little kids and was one of the first guitarists I ever played with and helped give me that push to really take guitar seriously. You can also find him right by my side when Fux takes the stage. Chris Vicente, our manager, is another childhood friend and will handle anything that is thrown at him at any time.
Starting a band from scratch is never easy, especially when life can be so unpredictable, so my rock/girlfriend Kaylee Schrickel is owed a huge thanks for keeping me going and feeling loved every second. The biggest thanks I could ever give are to my parents Bibi and Mohamed Baksh who have loved and supported me my entire life. None of this would be possible without them.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 7703561989
- Email: fuxmusix@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/fuxband instagram.com/sultanreigns
- Facebook: facebook.com/doyoufux facebook.com/sultanreigns
- Twitter: twitter.com/fux_band twitter.com/sultanreigns
Image Credit:
Keith Griner – Phierce Photo
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