ET EXCLUSIVE: Mark Ballas Debuts 'HurtLoveBox'

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"Dancing with the Stars" pro dancer Mark Ballas has a hidden secret: He's also an accomplished singer and guitarist with a new album, HurtLoveBox, and we're exclusively with him in the studio!

"Since I was a kid, I've always kept my memories in boxes, so for me, all the songs I've written on this record are things that I've been through," explains Mark, "whether it's being happy and in love, or going through a great time, or whether you're hurt or you lost somebody in a relationship that didn't end up so good. … That's where I came up with HurtLoveBox."

Mark spent the last 3-4 months working on the album, and he shares, "It's all live instruments. I'm doing all the guitars and vocals, and we've got a great band backing us and playing. … I'm real excited."

You can blame Kurt Cobain for Mark's rock 'n' roll hunger. The "Dancing with the Stars" partner of Bristol Palin reveals, "I remember I was eight years old, and I heard Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' … [My dad] took me to the store and I bought that CD and ever since then I became obsessed with guitar."

Fresh off his three-city stint as a featured dancer in the show Burn the Floor, Mark will embark on his first solo tour to support HurtLoveBox.  The first single will be released January 4 and the album drops February 22.  Check out his blog for more dates and details.

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