Loughman whimsically recounts personal journey living with oft-misunderstood medical condition, tortured by 'ordinary sounds'

North Hollywood, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/06/2017 -- Knives on a plate. Open-mouthed chewing. A loud public cell-phone conversation. These seemingly innocuous sounds of everyday life have jolted Manchester, England-born singer-guitarist Mark Loughman like an electric shock. But when Loughman discovered his reactions were a dead-ringer for an obscure medical condition known as misophonia, he was both relieved and inspired. His latest riveting single, 'My Misophonia' — accompanied by a hilarious music video co-directed by Daniel Christiansen and edited by Loughman — Loughman finds wry humor in this chronic condition — educating the rest of us while attempting to navigate the often unbearable sounds of ordinary day-to-day life.

WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdkhhaKQEXw

According to research by the medical publication Current Biology released in February, "misophonia is an affective sound-processing disorder characterized by the experience of strong negative emotions (anger and anxiety) in response to everyday sounds, such as those generated by other people eating, drinking, chewing, and breathing." Loughman's new single and video call attention to this rare medical condition on a hyper-personal level, while also exhibiting his skills as a talented songsmith and clever lyricist.

Transforming trauma into art

Loughman sings "My misophonia, well it seems to be going from bad to worse/It's such a curse, it's such a curse" at the song's opening, in his trademark sardonic British snarl atop crunchy guitars and the pounding drums, courtesy of Los Angeles session mate and touring fixture Rodger Carter [Rick Springfield, Glen Campbell]. Seated in what could be a therapist's chair in the video, Loughman reveals his deepest sonic demons, gazing plaintively into the camera as if searching for an answer to a misunderstood and almost alien medical condition.

Loughman first heard about misophonia when he saw a list of sounds commonly cited as highly irritating to those with misophonia, referred to as 'triggers.' "100% of the triggers they listed were sounds I have a strong response to, so I started doing more research," he says. While many people may find some of these sounds irritating, the visceral reaction people like Loughman experience to the sounds makes even quotidian situations trying or almost unmanageable.

"I had five siblings growing up, and whenever one of them would make a coughing or sniffling noise I would recoil visibly," Loughman says. "They'd always wondered what was wrong with me. For most of my life I just had this idea that I was over-sensitive or neurotic, and other people would think I was just looking for excuses to get upset." Little did he know that he was in good company of other artists sufferering from this condition, ranging from Kelly Osborne to Franz Kafka and Marcel Proust — who famously covered his bedroom walls in cork to shield him from unwanted noise.

In the first verse, Loughman sings: 'I can't go to the cinema,'cause people there like to chew/they sip soda, too, that's what they do.' Indeed, visiting the movie theater is off limits for Loughman and his wife, who is also coping with his condition by extension. "She has the patience of an angel," he says, recalling her years of empathetic accommodation to his sensitivities. "She has always been aware that I am very sensitive to certain noises. If she wants to see movies she has to go with her friends, because I can't handle it."

Part of the struggle is the fear of what others might think of their reactions to trigger sounds: 'Because it ain't visible, people write you off as weird/That's what we feared, that's what we feared," he sings, referencing the adverse social interactions that can result with people who aren't familiar with his condition. Even when close partners know about the condition, it can exact a toll. "It is often hard on people around you, especially romantic partners," Loughman says. "Relationships end sometimes over this condition."

Self-discovery and recovery

Knowing that others share a similar response to these stimuli provides some comfort to Loughman: "Discovering that it was a recognized condition helped me feel that I'm not on my own, that a lot of people deal with this," he says. He has even connected with communities online dedicated to people suffering from misophonia, where he finds welcome solidarity. "They share stories, triggers, and remedies to allow people to feel that they're not alone."

Loughman wants to tap into the power of solidarity with the video and song. In addition to empowering others with misophonia, he hopes his tune will help people around him empathize. "The song has really helped already," he says. "I've had people who have known me for 20 or 30 years reach out and say, 'Wow, Mark, I always just thought you were an oversensitive jerk!' So with the song I can just turn it around and say, 'look, here's what I'm living with and I can manage it'."

Encouraged by an active online community, Loughman hopes to continue issuing updates to the song referencing some of the other triggers that he was not able to squeeze into its first iteration. "A lot of the folks in the online support groups have given me some suggestions of different ones to try, so it would be great to have an opportunity to incorporate some of them," Loughman says.

How is Loughman handling his condition these days? If the last few seconds of the song are any indication he's managing it well. Loughman mixed the track himself, right up to the sounds of straw-sipping, lip-smacking, and other misophonia triggers that play at the song's close. "That part was hell to mix," he says. "But I thought it was important to end with a snapshot of how we experience those sounds!"

To hear 'My Misophonia' by Mark Loughman, please view the video on YouTube or visit soundcloud.com/mark-loughman/. For review copies, please contact Hummingbird Media.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/first-listen-mancunian-songsmith-mark-loughman-finds-droll-humor-in-new-singlevideo-my-misophonia-860186.htm

Video for Third Single off Bleedin' Aura Set Amidst the Legendary Sunset Sound

Hollywood, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/22/2016 -- Mancunian transplant and LA rocker Mark Loughman's new single, "Manc Grey Sky", the third single off his acclaimed LP Bleedin' Aura, brings the listener on a journey to a different place. Carried by Loughman's edgy vocals that offer more than hint of his deep affection for 70's glam rock, "Manc Grey Sky" smolders with LA's best studio talent. With drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty) building the rhythms, Billy Morrison (Royal Machines, Billy Idol) handling lead guitar and bassist Grant Fitzpatrick (The Cult, Cherie Currie) packing the low end, the tune weaves its way from a droning and forboding ballad to a Suffragette City-esque 12-bar boogie as clearer skies emerge.

The video for "Manc Grey Sky", filmed at the legendary Sunset Sound where the track was recorded and co-produced by Loughman and Warren Huart (Aerosmith, The Fray), features behind the scene footage of the song as it was being created and mixed. 'Manc Grey Sky' sets the stage with Loughman playing a somber riff on his guitar as a young girl asks, "Daddy why isn't the sky blue like it is in California?"

"It has been said that in order understand the light you've got to experience the darkness," explains Loughman, who himself left his home city of Manchester, England en route to America fifteen years ago. He landed in New York City with a bus ticket, his guitar and a few demo tapes in hand and after taking a Greyhound to Los Angeles, never looked back. Loughman was driven by the hope of arriving at a better place, inspired by escaping from a tough reality. Despite landing in Hollywood's lap of luxury, he has never forgotten the "stone in his shoe" of growing up in Manchester. His struggles in the past serve him to this day, and remain a huge influence on his work. This is particularly evident in "Manc Grey Sky.

The recording was done at Los Angeles' Sunset Sound, the inimitable sonic temple where The Doors recorded Strange Days and The Rolling Stones recorded Exile on Main Street years ago. In keeping with his love for '70s rock music and his love of analogue equipment, Loughman relied heavily on BAE Audio's 312's and 1073's microphone pre-amps throughout his signal chain, helping imbue the very same vintage sound he grew up with.

Despite a forboding and unsettling start, "Manc Grey Sky" ultimately sees Loughman finding solace in the California sunshine: "I just like living in the sun, well doesn't everyone, there's just no other place like home."

The video for "Manc Grey Sky" is now streaming on Youtube. Bleedin' Aura is out now on Spitfire Music and available at markloughman.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/watch-mark-loughmans-manc-grey-sky-journey-from-dark-days-in-manchester-to-recording-with-las-best-at-sunset-sound-753837.htm

Registration is Open for Session to be Held on Friday, June 10th, 10:30 am at Las Vegas Convention Center

Las Vegas, NV -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/06/2016 -- At InfoComm 2016, premium amplifier manufacturer Powersoft (booth C11505) will be offering a special training session on Friday, June 10th between 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. focused on how Powersoft's Class D amplifiers can integrate into large scale fixed sound system designs, comply with voice alarm standards, and help integrators achieve tangible improvements in audio quality, green power compliance, networking, and safety.

Powersoft's Luigi Chelli and Powersoft fixed install manager Mark Kocks will lead the session, which will also explore the newly released operator view functionality present in Powersoft's Armonia Pro Audio Suite software, which enables multiple user-level logins. Additionally, the seminar will include a look at the Powersoft-specific edition of Roland Hemming's Guide to Voice Alarm Systems and all attendees will receive a free digital copy of the book.

Who:
Amplifier manufacturer Powersoft

What:
Training session at InfoComm 2016 on Audio System Design and Voice Alarm Systems

When and Where:
Friday, June 10th, 2016 at the Las Vegas Convention Center

Space is limited and registration is required. Please register here or visit https://registration.experientevent.com/showinf161/flow/attendee/

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/powersoft-to-hold-audio-system-design-and-voice-alarm-system-training-session-at-infocomm-2016-695869.htm