This Album Refuses to Rush: Why Mark Price’s Elliott Is a Quiet Rebellion Against a Culture of Speed

In a culture obsessed with overnight success, viral moments, and constant visibility, Charleston artist Mark Price is releasing an album that refuses to rush — and that choice may be its most radical feature.

His latest release, an album titled Elliott, is shaped by patience, intention, and a refusal to hurry. 

Price is both a singer and drummer, and his sound reflects that duality — moving between singer-songwriter roots, rock, southern rock, country, and piano-driven ballads. He’s long been part of Charleston’s live music ecosystem, performing across the region, appearing on WTSQ 88.1 FM, and sharing stages with artists and groups including Bob Thompson, Hybrid Soul, and the Jordan Dyer Trio. He has also performed at Multifest, grounding his work firmly in West Virginia’s cultural landscape.

That grounding matters, because Elliott isn’t chasing attention — it’s building meaning.

The album draws deeply from faith, family, and lived experience. Price’s musical foundation began in the church, where music came with responsibility. Rhythm meant discipline. Sound meant care. An elementary school teacher noticed his talent early and encouraged him to apply to a magnet program after learning he played drums — an early reminder of how belief and community investment can change a trajectory. From there, local shows, school productions, and collaborations followed, not as shortcuts to exposure, but as steady steps toward depth.

The album’s title carries personal weight. Elliott is Price’s middle name — and the name of one of his mother’s favorite cousins, who passed away before Price was born. Growing up, the name brought jokes and comparisons he didn’t choose. Over time, he decided to claim it instead. That cousin also played music, turning the album into both tribute and continuation — a way of honoring legacy without trying to recreate it.

What makes Elliott resonate isn’t just its sound, but the decision behind it. Price could have rushed this project. He didn’t. He could have chased visibility. He chose clarity. In an industry that rewards immediacy, he bet on staying power.

Rather than centering a single emotion, Elliott moves through joy, doubt, love, grief, and resolve. The music doesn’t shout for attention. It trusts the listener enough to arrive on their own terms.

That philosophy extends beyond the album itself.

“Go for it,” Price says. “There are many who paved the way for you to be who you are. Walk in it. Own it. And do it because God only made one you.”

At Black By God: The West Virginian, we’re highlighting Elliott because it reflects a kind of artistry often overlooked in national culture conversations — work rooted in faith, family, and community, created far from the pressure to trend. Price’s latest project is a reminder that meaningful creativity continues to emerge from places like West Virginia, on its own time and terms.

In a moment when culture confuses urgency with importance, Elliott offers something rarer: proof that what’s meant to last doesn’t need to rush.

Elliott is available now on Apple Music and all major streaming platforms.