Mark Crew (born 21 February 1985) is a songwriter, record producer, and mix engineer based in London, known for his work with Bastille, Lovejoy, Rag'n'Bone Man, and the Wombats.

Mark Crew
Born (1985-02-21) 21 February 1985 (age 39)
OriginUckfield, England
GenresPop, rock, electronic
Occupation(s)Record producer, mix engineer, songwriter
Years active2010-present

Production and songwriting

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Crew produced the albums Bad Blood (UK #1,[1] 3× platinum sales award;[2] US #11,[3] platinum sales award[4]), Wild World (UK #1,[5] gold;[6] US #4[7]) and Doom Days (UK #4;[8] US #5[9]) for Bastille. The albums included the notable singles "Pompeii" (UK #2,[10] 3× platinum;[11] US #5,[12] 6× platinum[13]), "Of the Night" (UK #2,[14] platinum[15]), and "Good Grief" (UK #13,[16] platinum;[17] US #40[18]).

He developed Rag’n’Bone Man and produced a number of tracks on his debut album Human (UK #1,[19] 4× platinum;[20] France #1,[21] 3× platinum;[22] Germany #2,[23] platinum[24]), including the singles "Bitter End" and "Grace." He produced The Wombats albums Glitterbug (UK #5,[25] 1x silver;[26] US #91[27]) and Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life (UK #3[28]), and also produced the James Arthur single "Empty Space" (UK #22,[29] 1x silver[30]), the Louis Tomlinson single "Two of Us", the Freya Ridings single "Castles" (UK #16,[31] 1x silver[32]) and the James Blunt single "Champions".

The two mixtapes that preceded Bastille's debut album campaign, titled Other People's Heartache Parts I & II, were also produced by Crew. One track from these mixtapes, "Of the Night", was the launch single for the extended version of the album, All This Bad Blood. The song charted at #2 in the UK,[33] and has sold over 1.5 million downloads to date.[citation needed]

After Bad Blood, he produced a further Bastille mixtape titled VS., an eight-song set continuing in the vein of the previous mixtapes, featuring appearances from Lizzo, Angel Haze, and Haim.[34]

He went on to produce Bastille's second album, Wild World.[35][36][37] He also mixed 13 titles on the album. Wild World was released on 9 September 2016 and spent two weeks at number 1 on the UK album charts[38] and reached number 4 in the US Billboard 200 charts.[39] The lead single from the album, "Good Grief", spent 23 weeks on the UK Singles Chart and was certified with a Gold sales award.[40]

The first single from Bastille's third studio album, titled "Quarter Past Midnight", was produced at Crew and Dan Smith's studio in London, One Eyed Jack's[41] and was Annie Mac's Hottest Record on 9 May 2018.[42]

Crew also produced the third album from The Wombats.[43] Titled Glitterbug, it was released on 13 April 2015. The first two singles from the album, "Greek Tragedy" and "Give Me a Try", were both Zane Lowe's Hottest Records and play-listed on Radio 1. The album entered the UK albums chart at number 5,[44] and the Australian albums chart at number 2.[45] The Wombats invited Crew back to produce their fourth album, Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life.[46] The album was produced at his studio.[47] Released on 9 February 2018, the album entered the UK charts at number 3[48] and the Australian charts at number 5.[49] The singles from the album, "Lemon to a Knife Fight", "Cheetah Tongue", and "Turn", were all selected as Annie Mac's Hottest Records.[50][51][52]

Crew co-wrote and co-produced Tears For Fears' song "I Love You but I'm Lost"[53] and mixed the band To Kill a King's self-titled album, producing the tracks "Oh My Love" and "Breathe".[54]

Best Laid Plans

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In 2013, Crew founded Best Laid Plans Records with production partners Dan "Braque" Priddy and Dan Smith and Best Laid Plans Music, a music publishing imprint.[55]

The first artist to be produced for Best Laid Plans was Rag'n'Bone Man.[56] The campaign commenced with a mini-album titled Wolves,[57] which featured contributions from Vince Staples, Kae Tempest, and Stig of the Dump. This was followed by the Disfigured EP in March 2015,[58] which included "Bitter End", a track that was performed live at Glastonbury and play-listed for BBC Radio 1.[59] Rag'n'Bone Man is signed to Columbia Records. Crew produced ten tracks on Rag'n'Bone Man's debut album with his production partner and label co-director Dan "Braque" Priddy. Titled Human, it was released on 10 February 2017[60] and sold 117,000 copies in the UK in its first week of release, becoming the "fastest-selling male debut album of the decade."[61]

The second artist to be signed to Best Laid Plans was Rationale, whose debut EP Fuel to the Fire gained early support from Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Phil Taggart on BBC Radio 1, and Zane Lowe and Pharrell Williams on Beats 1. Two tracks from the EP, "Fuel to the Fire" and "Fast Lane", were play-listed on Radio 1. Subsequent single "Something for Nothing" was a 'Hottest Record'[62] and also play-listed on BBC Radio 1. Crew mixed all titles on Fuel to the Fire and provided additional production on "Something for Nothing".[63]

As of July 2020, Best Laid Plans represents the following seven artists: Rag'n'Bone Man, Rationale, Kianja, The Dawn of May, Akine, FERDIN&ND, and Flying Ibex.[64]

Selected discography

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Singles

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Title Act Role Year
"Call Me What You Like" Lovejoy Producer, recording engineer 2023
"Run Into Trouble" Alok x Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2022
"Revolution" Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2022
"Remind Me" Bastille Co-Producer, Co-Writer 2022
"Shut Off The Lights" Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Ready For The High" The Wombats Producer 2021
"Everything I Love Is Going to Die" The Wombats Producer 2021
"No Bad Days" Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Unstoppable" James Blunt Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Last of the Whiskey" James Arthur Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Deva Vu" James Arthur Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Distorted Light Beam" Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Anywhere Away from Here" Rag'n'Bone Man feat. P!NK Co-Writer 2021
"Paranoia" Finn Askew Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Egotism" Finn Askew Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"If You Ever Leave, I'm Coming with You" The Wombats Producer 2021
"Method to the Madness" The Wombats Producer 2021
"Deal with It" Ashnikko Co-Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Thelma + Louise" Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Give Me the Future" Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2021
"Survivin'" Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2020
"What You Gonna Do???" Bastille Producer, Co-Writer 2020
"Amen" Tom Grennan Producer 2020
"Falling Down" Paloma Faith Producer, Co-Writer 2020
"Another Place" Bastille feat. Alessia Cara Producer, Co-Writer 2019
"Champions" James Blunt Producer, Co-Writer 2019
"I Told You" James Blunt Producer, Co-Writer 2019
"Joy" Bastille Producer 2019
"Doom Days" Bastille Producer 2019
"Giants" Calvin Harris ft. Rag'n'Bone Man Vocal Producer 2019
"Castles" Freya Ridings Additional Production 2019
"Begging" Moss Kena Co-Producer, Co-Writer 2019
"Two of Us" Louis Tomlinson Producer 2019
"My Cheating Heart" Love Fame Tragedy Producer 2019
"Ice Cream" Mika Co-Producer 2019
"Sound of an Orchestra" Mika Producer 2019
"Quarter Past Midnight" Bastille Producer 2018
"Empty Space" James Arthur Producer 2018
"At My Weakest" James Arthur Producer, Co-Writer 2018
"Turn" The Wombats Co-Producer 2018
"Cheetah Tongue" The Wombats Co-Producer 2018
"Lemon to a Knife Fight" The Wombats Co-Producer 2018
"I Love You but I’m Lost" Tears For Fears Co-Producer, Co-Writer 2017
"World Gone Mad" Bastille Producer 2017
"Grace (We All Try)" Rag'n'Bone Man Co-Producer 2017
"Basket Case (Theme from The Tick)" Bastille Producer, Mixer 2017
"Blame" Bastille Producer 2017
"Broken People (from Bright OST)" Logic feat. Rag'n'Bone Man Co-Writer 2017
"Send Them Off!" Bastille Producer, Mixer 2016
"Good Grief" Bastille Producer 2016
"Prodigal Son" Rationale Additional production, Mixer 2016
"Something for Nothing" Rationale Additional production, Mixer, Co-Writer 2016
"Emoticons" The Wombats Producer 2015
"Be Your Shadow" The Wombats Producer 2015
"Give Me a Try" The Wombats Producer 2015
"Greek Tragedy" The Wombats Producer 2015
"Bad Blood" Bastille Producer, mixer 2013
"Of the Night" Bastille Producer 2013
"Pompeii" Bastille Producer 2013

Albums and EPs

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Title Act Role Year
Wake Up & It's Over Lovejoy Producer, Recording engineer on "Call Me What You Like" & "Consequences" 2023
Give Me the Future Bastille Producer on all titles except "Promises", Mixer, Co-Writer 2022
Fix Yourself, Not the World The Wombats Producer 2022
Life by Misadventure Rag'n'Bone Man Co-Writer on 3 tracks 2021
Wherever I Go, I Want to Leave Love Fame Tragedy Producer, Co-Writer on some tracks 2020
My Name Is Michael Holbrook Mika Producer, Co-Writer on Cry and Stay High 2019
You James Arthur Producer 2019
Doom Days Bastille Producer 2019
I Don't Want to Play the Victim, but I'm Really Good at It EP Love Fame Tragedy Producer 2019
Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life The Wombats Producer 2018
Witness Katy Perry Co-Producer, Co-Writer on "Act My Age" 2017
Wonderland EP Jasmine Thompson Producer, Mixer on "Wanna Know Love", "Fix Me", and "Drama" 2017
Vessels EP Rationale Mixer, Additional Production on "Prodigal Son" 2017
Human Rag'n'Bone Man Producer on 10 titles, Co-Writer 2017
Wild World Bastille Producer on all titles, Mixer on some titles 2016
Fuel to the Fire EP Rationale Mixer 2015
Disfigured EP Rag'n'Bone Man Producer, Mixer, Songwriter 2015
To Kill a King To Kill a King Producer on all titles, Mixer on some titles 2015
Glitterbug The Wombats Producer 2015
Wolves EP Rag'n'Bone Man Producer, Mixer, Songwriter 2014
VS. Bastille Producer, Mixer on some titles 2014
All This Bad Blood Bastille Producer on all titles, Mixer on some titles 2013
Bad Blood Bastille Producer on all titles, Mixer on some titles 2013

References

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