The Southbound Walking Northward EP is the fifth studio release by singer/songwriter Mark Croft, featuring five tracks largely influenced by instrumentation and genres from the American South. Americana, blues, Cajun, folk, and country all find a place as Croft takes a variety of genres and makes them his own. Southbound Walking Northward is self- produced and largely self-recorded by Croft, and features the singer & songwriter on the majority of the instruments played on the tracks.

Released November, 2013

Recorded on July 20th, 2013 at the historic Shake Rag Alley Center the Arts in Mineral Point, WI, the album documents the performance of his acoustic quartet with band mates Robert Boyd (percussion), Dan Kennedy (Bass), and violinist extraordinaire, Jon Vriesacker. Live at Shake Rag Alley contains 14-tracks and could easily serve as a ‘best-of’ album for Mark, featuring live recordings of several of his most popular songs, including the first official recording of fan-favorite “Molly Brown,” and the new folk-pop single “Easy On Me.” Also included in the track list is the previously unrecorded, smoldering blues-lament “Picking It Up,” and Croft’s melancholy interpretation of the Springsteen hit, “Dancing in the Dark.” In June 2014, LIVE AT SHAKE RAG ALLEY was honored by The Madison Area Music Awards for Folk/Americana Album of the Year.

Released October 2010

EVENING FLOOD is the fourth studio release for Madison, WI based singer/songwriter Mark Croft. Croft leads off the album with the title track, what Local Sounds Magazine called “the best-written, most succinct pop song he’s done yet. Everything gels here, the melody, the hook, the vocal performance and the accompaniment.” “Good Enough,” co-written with Brandmeier, comes in a close second. A heartfelt song about moving on, this one also has a distinct Top 40 Country aspect.”

Building on his pop/rockin’ roots base, Croft expanded his songwriting to incorporate new genres and musical flavors including; Southern funk (“If She’s Gonna Shake It”), swampy blues (“One Mississippi”), gospel (Amen & Hallelujah) and gypsy swing (“The Crow and the Raven”). The CD features the rousing single “The Gas Is On” written in the wake of the gulf oil spill and reflects on its global impact and aftermath. Mark also recorded one of his favorite Peter Gabriel songs “Washing of the Water”, which closes the album and will surprise many fans, old and new, as he gives a profoundly intimate and emotional performance of this moving song. Peter Gabriel himself, upon recently hearing Mark’s version, exclaimed “Great version - wonderful voice.”

Recorded at Masters Recording Studio (formerly Flyte Tyme Studios) in Edina, MN, Evening Flood was produced by Benson and mixed by his colleague Grammy Award™ winning engineer Tom Tucker (Prince, Sting, Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt) and mastered by mastering wiz Dominick Maita (Herbie Hancock, Glee Soundtracks, Curtis Stigers, Til Tuesday, Billy Joel). Evening Flood also features a bevy of talented musicians and vocalists including drummer Noah Levy (BoDeans, Five for Fighting, Peter Frampton, Brian Setzer).

Great new record Mark. I LOVE it! -Gabby Parsons 105.5 Triple-M

"Evening Flood sounds absolutely fantastic. Croft can hold his head high on the basis of his solid reputation, four fine albums, and a loyal fan base" -Local Sounds Magazine

“My favorite record of the year! EVENING FLOOD is phenomenal. Out of the park…BOOM…goodnight everybody “ - John Urban, Host of Urban Theater WISC-TV

"On the same day as the Beatles are released on iTunes, I finally give in to downloading iTunes on my computer....only to download Evening Flood" - Jeremy, Fan