Mark and Jay have seen success around the globe, both as independent artists and as a duo. Originally from Dalby, Queensland, Mark's musical career took off at the young age of seventeen when he won the Gympie Music Mustertalent competition in 1993, which subsequently led to a record deal. Mark's debut album was honored with two Golden Guitar Awards from the CMAA for Best New Talent of the Year for the track "The Swimming Song" and Best Video for "The Dreamer". Eventually Mark left his solo career to form rock/pop group Zinc that signed with Los Angeles-based label, Trauma. The band's first single, "The Morning After", reached No. 22 on the ARIA Charts in 2004. In 2006, Mark toured as a guitarist for artist Ronn Moss and also had his own song, "When We Kissed", recorded and released on Moss' Uncovered album in 2005. Jay had been involved in the performing arts from a young age as well; she toured the UK and Europe with the Australian Dance-Drill team at age 15. In 2003 Jay signed her first publishing deal with Warner Chappell London. While working in London, Jay co-wrote "Rutinas" with Wendy Page and Jim Marr. The song became the hit single on Chenoa's album Nada Es Igual and reached No. 1 on the Spanish chart in 2005.
In 2007, Mark and Jay moved to Nashville, Tennessee and began performing as a duo. It wasn't long before O'Shea was travelling across the U.S. to open for artists Phil Vassar, Jimmy Wayne, Sara Evans, and the Oak Ridge Boys. In 2010, the pair began hosting their own TV show called O'Shea USA which aired on Australia’s Country Music Channel.
2011–2013: Mr. and Mrs.
In 2011, the duo signed with Sony Australia to release their debut album Mr. and Mrs.The album featured 11 tracks written/co-written by the duo alongside Nashville co-writers Dave Berg, Josh Leo, and Georgia Middleman and debuted at No. 9 on the ARIA Charts. While working with Nashville-based Australian producer Mark Moffat, the duo recorded the hit single "Old School". The video for the single reached No. 7 on Australia's Country Music Channel in 2010. The next single released, "Smash", co-written with Kim Carnes, reached No. 1 on CMC's Top 50 Video Countdown. In 2011, O'Shea performed at CMC Rocks the Hunter and hosted the DVD coverage of the event. All of this culminated in O'Shea being awarded the 2012 CMAA New Talent of the Year Award.
2013–2015: One + One
Their album One + One debuted at number 3 on the ARIA Country Charts and cracked the top 30 on the all genre chart in 2013.
2015–2017: The Famine and the Feast
In 2015, the duo's album The Famine and the Feast reached number 36 on the ARIA Charts, and number 1 on the ARIA Country Albums chart.
2017–Present: ''61-615''
In 2017, O'Shea released the studio album61-615, which reached number 16 on the ARIA charts. The album's first single, "Start Over", written by Mark, Jay, and singer-songwriter Alex Lloyd, peaked at #1 on The Music Network's national Country Airplay chart.
Awards
Discography
Studio Albums
Track Listings
Mr. & Mrs.
One + One
The Famine And The Feast
61-615
Videos
Network and online media
Mark and Jay host O'Shea USA, a television show which is currently in its sixth season on Foxtel's Country Music Channel, on which they have interviewed notable guests such as Garth Brooks, Chris Young, and Thomas Rhett. Mark and Jay are also social media hosts for RodeoHouston, where they interviewed artists.
Personal lives
Mark and Jay became a couple in 1996 and subsequently married. They have two daughters. In 2014 Jay collaborated with her birth father, Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst on "The Truth Walks Slowly". Jay met Hirst in 2010 following a long search for her birth parents, after they gave her up for adoption when they were teenagers. Mark is a keen angler.
