Cory Marks

Cory Gerald Joseph Marquardt (born October 11, 1989 ) is a Canadian country rock singer-songwriter better known by his stage name Cory Marks. He is signed to Better Noise Music. He has released four albums, This Man in 2015 under Big Star Recordings, then Who I Am in 2020, Sorry for Nothing in 2024, and Sorry for Nothing Vol. 2, all under Better Noise. Marks has accumulated over 450 million global streams with his debut single "Outlaws & Outsiders" being certified Platinum in Canada, Gold in the US and reaching top 10 at US rock radio and #3 in Germany, making Marks the first to ever do so as a Canadian country act. Marks' 2024 hit "(Make My) Country Rock" featuring Travis Tritt, Mick Mars formerly of Mötley Crüe and Sully Erna of Godsmack earned him his second top 20 single at US Rock radio.

Early life Marks was raised in North Bay, Ontario, the younger brother of professional hockey player Matt Marquardt, and learned how to skate at three years old. He cites Merle Haggard, Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Bryan Adams, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rush as early musical influences. Marks played university hockey at the Royal Military College of Canada where he also pursued dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. He had never performed music publicly until his friends encouraged him to do so while at a bar in college. He has performed using the name "Cory Marks" since the release of his debut album.

Career 2014–2015: This Man In July 2014, he released his first single to Canadian country radio, "Smartphone". The album included his first two singles, as well as two further singles, "This Man" and "Nowhere With You".

2016–2021: Who I Am and extended plays In 2016, Marks signed a deal to work with award-winning producer Kevin Churko, known for work with Ozzy Osbourne, Shania Twain, and Five Finger Death Punch. In 2018, he signed a record deal with Eleven Seven Music (later rebranded as Better Noise Music) as their flagship country artist.

In November 2019, Marks released his first single on Better Noise, "Outlaws & Outsiders", featuring Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt, and Mick Mars, which debuted at #1 on iTunes in Canada as well as #1 on the Billboard Rock Digital Songs and Hard Rock Digital Songs charts and #7 on the Country Digital Songs charts.

In June 2020, Marks released "Drive" and announced it as the second single to country radio off his second album, Who I Am, which was released on August 7, 2020, through Better Noise. In October 2020, "Blame It on the Double" was released as the second single to rock radio in Germany and the United Kingdom. Marks also released his first Christmas single "Jingle My Bells", a cover of a song by The Tractors, that month. In April 2021, Marks released a new version of "Blame It on the Double" featuring Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman and Jason Hook.

On June 18, 2021, Marks released the extended play Nashville Mornings. It included a cover of Blaze Foley's "If I Could Only Fly", as well as a "Country Mix" of "Blame It on the Double" featuring Tyler Connolly, which was sent to Canadian country radio. He followed that up with the extended play Nashville Nights on August 20, 2021, which included a new track "In Me I Trust", the solo version of "Outlaws & Outsiders", and live versions of "Drive" and "Blame It on the Double".

2022–present: I Rise and Sorry for Nothing albums In November 2022, Marks released the extended play I Rise, which included the singles "Burn It Up" and "Flying". He supported Five Finger Death Punch on their headlining tour in the United States in the fall and winter of 2022 alongside Brantley Gilbert. In early 2024, Marks toured across Canada on Aaron Pritchett 's "Liquored Up Tour" with Matt Lang.

In June 2024, Marks released two songs, "Guilty”, which featured Bad Wolves's lead singer DL, and "Drunk When I'm High", which was serviced to Australian country radio. On December 6, 2024, Marks released his third studio album Sorry for Nothing. He released the song "(Make My) Country Rock" featuring Sully Erna, Travis Tritt, and Mick Mars, concurrently with the announcement of the album several months prior. Marks released his fourth studio album Sorry for Nothing Vol. 2 on October 3, 2025.

Discography Albums Title Details Peak chart positions AUSCountry CAN SWI UKCountry USHeat USAlbumSales This Man Release date: May 26, 2015 Label: Better Noise Music Format: CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming 16 12 98 6 17 74 Sorry for Nothing Release date: December 6, 2024 Label: Better Noise Music Format: CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming — — — — — — Sorry for Nothing Vol. 2 Release date: October 3, 2025 Label: Better Noise Music Format: CD Nashville Mornings Release date: June 18, 2021 This Man 2015 "21" "This Man" 2016 "Nowhere with You"

2020s Year Single Peakpositions Certifications Album AUSCountry CANRock USCountryDigital USHardRock USHardRockDigi. USRock 2020 "Outlaws & Outsiders" (featuring Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt and Mick Mars) 41 12 7 7 1 10 14 MC: Platinum Who I Am "Drive" — — — — — — — "Blame It on the Double" — — — — — — — I Rise 2023 "Snowbirds" — — — — — — — 2024 "A Different Kind of Year" — — — — — — — Sorry for Nothing Vol. 2 "Drunk When I'm High" 34 — — — — — — Sorry for Nothing "(Make My) Country Rock" (featuring Sully Erna, Mick Mars and Travis Tritt) — — — 14 3 19 — "Fast as I Can" 43 — — — — — — 2025 "Guilty" (featuring DL of Bad Wolves) — — — — — — — "Hangman" — — — — — — — Sorry for Nothing Vol. 2 "Whiskey River" — — — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

As Featured Artist Song Year Peak chart positions AlbumUSMain. "Unstoppable"(with Eva Under Fire) 2023 20 "Livin' My Life Like a Country Song"(with Theory of a Deadman) 2024 —

Christmas singles Year Single Album 2020 "Jingle My Bells" Christmas With Better Noise Music

Music videos Year Video Director 2014 "Smartphone" Manee Osman 2015 "21" Blake McWilliam 2016 "Nowhere with You" Ed Regan 2019 "Outlaws & Outsiders" "Better Off" Blake Judd 2020 "Blame It on the Double" "Outlaws & Outsiders" Jaclyn Cataldi "Drive" Ed Regan "Out In the Rain" 2021 "Blame It on the Double" "Blame It on the Double" - Country Mix Ed Regan "In Me I Trust" Travis Nesbitt 2022 "Burn It Up" Michael Lombardi "Flying" 2023 "I Rise" 2024 "(Make My) Country Rock" "Sorry For Nothing" Michael Lombardi 2025 "Whiskey River"

Awards and nominations +YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResultRef 2021 Canadian Country Music Association Alternative Country Album of the Year Who I Am 2022 Country Music Association of OntarioFans' Choice Songwriter(s) of the Year"Blame It on the Double" (with Kevin Churko and Kane Churko) 2026Music Video of the Year"Whiskey River"