Mark Croft

Mark Croft - Wisconsin Troubadour

Mark Croft is a hell of good songwriter and performer! I would even say that he is a great songwriter and performer! Croft is lucky enough to make his living doing what he loves to do. A troubadour from Columbus, Wisconsin he has been playing as a singer songwriter solo and with a band since 2005. His music has been described as Pop/Rock, but I hear a tinge of Americana in his lyrics and song styling’s. In fact I would call his music Pop Americana. It is laden with classy hooks both lyrically and instrumentally, fantastic story lines, and especially on his new CD “Evening Flood” a tinge of Southern Gothic styling’s. He is a multiple MAMA’s award winner, a fantastic guitar player, and probably one of the nicest people you will meet in the music business.
I met with Croft at one of his favorite hangouts Cool Beans Coffee House on Eagan Road on the East Side of Madison for a delightful conversation and laughs.
AG: This CD is incredible! Besides the fantastic collection of songs the recording and sound quality is right up there with CD’s that are coming out on major labels.
Croft: Thanks. I am really proud of this CD. I recorded it in Minneapolis at Master’s Recording Studio, formerly the famous Flyte Tyme Studios. This is the same studio where Mariah Carey, Boys II Men and Janet and Michael Jackson cut tracks back in the 90’s. The gear and musicians were the best Minneapolis had to offer. It was such a cool experience to make music in a place like Master’s. It was the first time I ever stepped out of the co-producer role and handed the reins over to a producer, but it was a great experience. Anthony Benson, Tom Tucker and the whole staff were great to work with. The musicians that played on this record were phenomenal and I couldn’t be happier with the work they did.
AG: Your songs are so well constructed. The chord changes, lyrics, hooks, everything just flowed. I do have to ask though how does a guy from Columbus Wisconsin write such authentic Southern influenced songs (Cripple Me, One Mississippi)?
Croft: It’s funny, I don’t think I realized until I went in and started recording these songs that they had that kind of influence to them. A lot of my writing is roots based anyway and I’ve had more than one person tell me that I write Country songs with an edge. I guess in some ways I have kind of fought against that, but as I listen more to my songs I hear that influence myself. I don’t know where that comes from, but I’m a big fan of southern music styles and I’m just glad they found their way to this CD.
AG: The song The Gas is On is really different than most of the songs on the CD. It has a real R&B flavor to it. How did you come about to write it?
Croft: The Gulf Oil spill had just happened and I was shocked and frustrated by what an environmental disaster it was turning out to be. So when I was writing songs for this record, I was really inspired to write something to vent my frustration. In constructing the song, it was just a feel I had to start with and the lyrical ideas I wanted to express. The rhythm just came alive once we were in the studio. Sometimes that just happens. You have an idea how a song will go, but when you get in the studio or with the band it takes on a life of its own. That was one of the most exciting songs to record and the groove and overall feel were right there when we started tracking it.
AG: How long have you been doing this?
Croft: I started playing piano as a little kid and did so exclusively until I was about 17. I picked up the guitar when I went to college and it was a love affair right away. I didn’t go anywhere without my guitar for about three years. I really started seriously writing and gigging in about 2003. I went full-time 2005 when I put out my first CD and have been doing it ever since.
AG: Do you travel the whole country or just regionally?
Croft: In the past just regionally. This year though I’m going to be spreading out and working different parts of the U.S.
AG: Were you ever in a band before you undertook this solo gig?
Croft: In High School I played in Garage Band playing Rock music covers with some friends and my next door neighbor. I played keyboards. But since I picked up the guitar I have been a primarily a solo artist, though I do play live with my band or as a duo depending on the venue or event.
AG: How do you approach songwriting?
Croft: A lot of times I get my inspiration while driving around in my car or listening to music. I don’t listen to music as much as I used to but when I’m in writing mode I really start to listen to get inspired and find ideas for songs. I especially like to find new artists or styles I’ve never heard before. Many times a rhythm or melody gets stuck in my head and I build a song around it. Sometimes I come up with the hook or a great lyric and then construct the song around that. In the end there aren’t any hard a - Americana Gazette - Andy Ziehli

Mark Croft ?????

Evening Flood

Style: Pop/ Americana

Self-Released

This is one of those CD’s that once you put it in your CD player you will not want to take it out! It’s not very often you find 10 songs on a CD of this caliber! Mark Croft has risen to new heights on this, his fourth release.

Evening Flood is a collection of wonderfully written songs that lyrically and musically stand up to any songs written today in L.A., Nashville, or New York. The CD kicks off with the title cut and gets right to the heart of what you can expect on this record. I listen to lots and lots of music and I have to say that this CD is sonically one of the best CD’s I have heard from a local artist here in Wisconsin.

Croft’s story telling in his songs are mini novels. You can shut your eyes and see everything in his songs play out in movies in your mind. His chord choices and rhythms are just icing on the cake to his fantastically written lyrics. Croft’s voice is a special treat. Full, deep, and smooth, a perfect listening experience.

My favorite cut is Good Enough. The guitar and organ are coolly played. The groove is inescapable. I’m a sucker for great Hammond organ and this song has it. The Gas is on is a hip R&B song that will have you stomping your feet and clapping your hands right along. Cripple Me and One Mississippi are Southern grooved funky tunes; slide guitar swampy backbeat and greasy just like a hot night in Louisiana.

The Crow and the Raven is almost World Music style in its form and style. It reminds me of Bill Miller and his styling. The last cut Washing of the Water is a gospel tinged song that is a perfect end to the CD. It’s soothing imagery and flowing lyrical context is both relaxing and spiritual.

Mark Croft is one of the Madison area’s finest singer/songwriters. This CD shows his best work to date and deserves to be heard by the masses. Croft hit one out of the park with Evening Flood. Hopefully this will be a huge step towards the big time for him. It’s that good!

Review by: Andy Ziehli
- Americana Gazette - Andy Ziehli

Mark Croft: Doing the Work

Posted by Rick Tvedt on 12/19/10 • Categorized as Features

Mark Croft: Doing the Work

We first interviewed Mark Croft in the April 2006 of Rick’s Cafe. he had just won his first awards at the Third Annual Madison Area Music Awards. Re-reading that article amde me realize how far things have come for Croft since then. In the interview he sounds like a relative newcomer, which he was. Croft has lost none of his humility and congeniality since then but it is clear he’s travelled a road that seems much longet than four-and-a-half years. Having just released his fourth CD, Evening Flood (read the review here), and making substantial changes to his methodologies both musical and businesswise, we felt it was time to catch up with Croft.

LS: How do you feel having your own record label benefit you?

Croft: I talked to more than a few industry professionals including some former A&R reps, and even consulted my former label before making this decision, and they all essentially said the same thing; “Don’t bother with a label. Put it out yourself, do the work, and continue to build on your own.” I’ve had my brushes with some major labels in the recent past but never found a deal that was going to be really beneficial to me. The music industry is in a state of transition, and the internet has opened up the industry to the point that being signed to a record label means less and less and is riskier than it used to be. Much of what they used to do for artists can be achieved with a little extra legwork on the artist’s end and some savvy internet use. This being my fourth CD, I felt like I gained enough experience from the past three releases that if I could take what I learned and continued to build my following with a great product, I’d have more ammunition to take to a label if and when I decided that was the right move. There’s definitely some risk with this kind of model, but retaining the rights to the masters and having the freedom to decide what direction I take was worth it at this point.

LS: How will you achieve distribution?

Croft: My main concentration for distribution is through the web. Evening Flood is available through iTunes, Amazon, Napster, and many of the most popular digital delivery sites, and you can order physical copies through my website (MarkCroftMusic.com), at CDBaby.com as well as Amazon.com. I’m looking into a few “physical” distribution companies at the moment but haven’t made a decision about that yet. That being said, as always, it seems to best way for indie musicians to get you’re music out there is to be performing regularly, connecting with the audience, and selling CDs personally at shows.

LS: Can you give a brief recap of who the musicians are on the album and how you found them?

Croft: By and large, the musicians who played on this record were brought on board by producer Anthony JW Benson. Most of them were based out of the Minneapolis area where he has close ties to the music scene, having lived and worked in the area for several years previously. I had 16 different musicians lend their talents to the project, which is a new record for me. It was quite a change from my last record where I used a more stripped down approach and kept it to five musicians, including myself.

The main band was comprised of Chicago-based guitarist Nicholas Markos, who played lead on most of the tracks, bassist Cody McKinney, Jason Craft, who’s an absolute monster on the keyboards, and drummer Noah Levy, who’s been touring with The BoDeans for a number of years. Noah’s also toured with Five For Fighting, and played on Brian Setzer’s latest CD shortly after mine. Jennifer Grimm lent her huge voice to the backing vocals on several tracks, as did Andra Suchy, Stacey K, and Aaron Keith Stewart, and former Minneapolis artist of year, Mary Jane Alm, sang the harmonies on “Good Enough.” I was also fortunate enough to have violinist Jim Price and slide guitarist Randy Casey sit in on a few tunes.

I was really excited about having Tom Tucker mix this record. Tom has worked in the business as an engineer and producer for decades. Back in the day he headed up Prince’s studio Paisley Park, mixing several of his records, and over the years has worked with artists like Sting, Bonnie Raitt, and Shaka Khan. He also won a Grammy for his work with Lucinda Williams. Watching him mix and listening to him share stories was one of the highlights of the experience. All in all it was an incredibly talented group of artists and I was fortunate to have them all on the project.

LS: These musicians are not the players you’ve used on previous recordings or for performance. How does all this sit with your Madison band members?

Croft: Yeah, it was a really tough decision not to use my Madison band members. I spoke with all of them before making that choice and explained what I was trying to accomplish. Thankfully, they were all really supportive a - Rick Tvedt - Local Sounds Magazine

MARK CROFT – Evening Flood

(2010 Mere Poet Records)

Mark Croft took several bold moves on his way to completing Evening Flood, his fourth recording. Not one to be caught sleeping on the best and latest music industry trends, especially those relating to indie artists, Croft formed his own independent record label, Mere Poet Records. Then he hooked up with Illinois-based publicity company Carrie On Productions who also handle Madison-based songwriter/performer Michael Brandmeier. Also on the roster at COP is Anthony JW Benson, who runs Injoi Music where he functions as a manager, advisor, life enhancement coach, marketing/communications consultant and producer. A Londener now living in the Southwest, Benson became the producer (and no doubt a lot more) for the Evening Flood project.

There’s more. Croft makes no bones about making these moves to elevate his career to the next level. You can read about more of that in this profile/interview.

The enlistment of an entirely new set of professionals to surround him, including the band members who played on the sessions, has benefited the resulting album in several ways, most notably the sound. Recorded at Masters Recording Studios (formerly Flyte Tyme) in Edina, Minnesota, Evening Flood sounds absolutely fantastic. Whether or not great production values matter you, this record sounds as good as anything out there. Enlisting Grammy-winner Tom Tucker (Prince, Sing, Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt) to mix surely had a lot to do with that and gives you some idea of the prolific company Evening Flood keeps on the production level.

Croft breaks new ground on the opener. “Evening Flood” may be 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. The funk gets turned up for “The Gas is On,” a song inspired by the Gulf oil spill events with rousing vocal harmonies, snarling guitar and a punchy bass line.

While last year’s The Possibility of Disaster hinted at darker emotions and deeper subject matter, “If She’s Gonna Shake It” and “One Mississippi” sound awfully safe, though littered with catchy lyrical phrasing and expertly played. “Amen & Hallelujah,” a gospel-infected tune with choir-like backup vocals is another example of well-crafted pop that doesn’t cut very deep.

A couple of other songs work better in terms of propelling Croft forward and investing more of himself into his music rather than simply funking-out or storytelling, particularly “In My Defense,” a mid-tempo ballad that lays a lot of his frustrations bare. “Cripple Me” features Croft’s deft acoustic guitar playing, though the scatting sounds a bit carefree and at odds with the tone of the rest of the song.

While Croft does a great vocal interpretation (the vocal performances are excellent throughout the entire album), the inclusion of Peter Gabriel’s “Washing of the Water” seems at odds with his purpose of raising the bar for his own music and taking it to the next level. That being said, Gabriel has heard the version and commented positively on it so that can’t hurt.

In a way, it seems that Croft is poised to move on from Madison. Whether that’s true at the moment or not, those who rise above the bar have a hard time getting up to the next rung here. And while he’s been met with a fair amount of indifference in Madison (WORT doesn’t like “that kind of music” for instance), he has also achieved a large amount of commercial radio play on Triple M and draws consistent crowds to his gigs. Croft can hold his head high on the basis of his solid reputation, four fine albums, and a loyal fan base that will follow him, wherever that may be. - Rick Tvedt - Local Sounds Magazine

Mark Croft is one of those performing songwriters whose music is difficult to categorize. Although he’s not exactly a folk musician, his lyrics carry the depth of folk music. And although his music is not entirely blues, it contains obvious blues influences. Some hear Croft and think funk. Some hear rock. Croft combines so many influences into his songwriting and performances that categorizing his music into a tidy genre can be a challenge.

“You know at first when we started out I was calling it ‘blue acoustic’ music,” Croft said of his work. “Now we’re calling it ‘new acoustic’ music.”

A fitting title. Drawing comparisons to Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews, this laid-back singer/guitarist is part of a movement of modern male songwriters who draw from numerous influences and create accessible music that appeals to a large audience. He wraps compelling melodies and heavily rhythmic guitar riffs together to form songs covering topics ranging from heartbreak to soul searching to politics. His lyrics reflect a depth and emotional intelligence that is found in contemporary male songwriters like David Gray and John Mayer.

“I think it’s becoming more socially acceptable for men to show softer side,” croft explained. “And it’s a huge commodity because women find it so attractive.”

Croft, a Wisconsin native, currently lives in Madison and plays mostly local shows, like his weekly gig Tuesdays at the Kimia Lounge. When he’s not performing, he’s racking up hours at Smart Studios, recording an album slated for release early this spring.

“I would have never in a million years guessed that that would happen so quickly – or at all, by any means,” Croft said of having the opportunity to record in the city’s most prestigious studio. “It’s very exciting; it’s a very cool experience … you look up and it’s like, Garbage is upstairs recording. Or like there’s Nirvana’s Nevermind album up on the wall.”

After completing the album, he’ll launch an extensive tour of the Midwest. Though a newcomer to the experience of touring, he’s looking forward to life on the road and a schedule that will allow him to be playing outside of Madison “hopefully two or three weeks a month.”

While Mark Croft may be part of a modern songwriting movement, his philosophy toward music dates back further. It’s best summed up by a passage from Bob Dylan’s memoirs.

“Bob was saying that back in the day everyone was calling him and saying things like ‘What’s it like to be the voice of a generation?’” Croft explained, “And he’s like, ‘I wasn’t thinking about writing songs, I was just writing songs. I wasn’t thinking about being a voice for a generation. I was just taking care of my family.’

“I think that’s what makes a great songwriter great,” he said, “It’s when you’re just sitting around, and you’re just taking the emotions that you’re feeling and not trying to be something but just being something.” -by Kris Adams

- Core Weekly

Wisconsin State Journal Rhythm Section - by Rob Thomas
CD Review – “Sympathetic Groove”

Put a little more meat on Jack Johnson’s musical bones and you might hear something like Madison singer-songwriter’ Mark Croft first album “Sympathetic Groove.”
Croft’s songs have the kind of playfulness one associates with Johnson or fellow travelers like John Mayer or Dave Matthews. But while some of their songs have such a light touch that they almost drift out of view, Croft’s sound has just enough grit and substance to keep even the simplest of the grounded in the listener’s mind.
“Don’t Speak” kicks off sounding a lot like a Dave Matthews Band song, with likable acoustic guitar, soft percussion, even a touch of soulful organ. But the song quickly becomes Croft’s own thanks to his slightly weathered voice and his terrific acoustic guitar playing (balanced by muscular electric guitar from Keith Pulvermacher).
“Angela” is a breezy pick-me-up to a friend who has fallen on hard times, and “Don’t it Make You Feel Like Coming Home” has the kind of put-the-top-down rock sound that seems tailor made for adult contemporary radio. “She’s a Landslide,” a woman-done-me-wrong song that most musicians would play as a blues rocker, benefits greatly from Croft’s decision to arrange it as a back-porch acoustic tune, with acoustic slide guitar and lap steel.
Croft slows things down effectively on the solo acoustic “Just the Same” and the closing song, the haunting “Stayed Too Long.” Overall, this is a welcome debut by a local musician, and the perfect sort of CD to star the summer with. – Rob Thomas

- Wisconsin State Journal Rhythm Section

"Some of the Broadjam staff and I were at Mark's CD release party recently, and we were blown away! This is one of the best new musicians we've seen in a long time. Definitely check out his music."
- Roy Elkins, Broadjam Founder and CEO - Roy Elkins

CD Review from Rick's Cafe

I'm so fake," is the first thing Mark Croft tells us on his debut full-length "Sympathetic Groove." "I'm so jaded," is the second, but after a couple of listens it is obvious he doesn't really mean either of those things. In fact, his songs are never less than genuine. The Madison singer/songwriter has seen his popularity explode in the last year, culminating with a sold-out CD-release party last month that left some standing on the sidewalk and had the Cafe Montemartre bursting at the seams with partying frat boys, their skinny, pretty girlfriends, and grooving hippies. With his insistent melodies and smooth voice, Croft has found an automatic market. The appeal is obvious: all the head nodding, danceable listenability of those artists, but on a local level. After all, you're not going to see Matthews or Johnson playing the Momo for a $7 cover.

"Don't Speak (not a No Doubt cover) stretches into Santana's "Supernatural" territory on the strength of Keith Pulvermacher on electric guitar and the Gomer's Dave Adler (who is absolutely terrific throughout) on organ. Occasionally the worldly rhythms done so well by bands like Rusted Root infuse songs like "Salvation Train" and "She's a Landslide" with another earthier, organic dimension (compliments of percussionists Bob Boyd and Pauli Ryan). The former tunes is a carefree, playful romp that evokes the feel of the title's train with its percussive drive. The latter displays some of the best songwriting, using lines like, "She's been walking around with a cold and an old broken heart" and the punch line "She's a landslide and I'm at the top of the hill" to tell of a destructive relationship, but one from which the narrator ultimately escapes. The final track, "Stayed Too Long," is a James Taylor-esque reflection, with its mournful cello (by Matt Turner) and simple lyrics creating a fitting closing statement.

"Talk is cheap, and so are all my Weezer T-shirts," he cleverly states at the start, so it is good to see him take some action. With these ten original songs, Croft makes a strong case as a songwriter who could move beyond local-hero status. "Sympathetic Groove" should be able to shoulder its way into a genre that always seems to be welcoming new members. As long as the Bonnaroo festival crowd encompasses such a broad swath of the music-buying population, there's always room for one more. Kiki Schueler
- Rick's Cafe

“Not only is it my favorite local album of 2005, I think it's my favorite album of 2005, period.” - John Urban, Host of Urban Theater, WISC-TV3
- John Urban

"...easily some of the best songs and one of the best performers I've worked with in the past 10 years."
- Mike Zirkel, Chief Engineer, Smart Studios
- Mike Zirkel, Chief Engineer

Singer/Songwriter Mark Croft has recieved a mountain of praise since the release of his 2005 debut album, Sympathetic Groove. He won "Best New Artist" and "Best Male Vocalist" at the 2006 Madison Area Music Awards, and Butch Vig named Croft as one of his favorite local artists last January in Madison Magazine.

Croft's skill as a rhythm guitar player distinguishes his music. His up-tempo strumming and rapid-fire chord changes fill his songs w/ energy. Like any respectable singer/songwriter; Croft pines about the trials of love ("She's a landslide, and I'm at the top of the hill"), but there's more, including the anti-war song "America."

Funk, blues, folk - it's all here. Croft is not just another guy with a guitar in the corner of a coffeehouse. - Isthmus Magazine

Croft has pared down the bigger band-and-horns approach of 2007’s Permanent Ink, going to a five-piece with Dan Kennedy on electric guitars, Jaye Barbeau on keyboards, Matt Rodgers on bass and Croft’s faithful drummer Bob Boyd. He may have hit on a winning combination as this quintet really grooves together. The addition of Rodgers is especially potent. Just listen to the bubbling bass line on “Mama Don’t Come Around” as Rodgers perfectly matches the movement of the percussive acoustic guitar and Barbeau’s barrelhouse piano. Along with Boyd, this makes for one hell of a rhythm section. Kennedy shines as well, adding some killer slide guitar to “The Edge of the City.” The tone is so exquisite it’s enough to frustrate a legion of budding guitar players. This song appears to be the compass for where Croft’s music is headed; way more Richard Thompson and much less Dave Matthews.

The subject matter is darker, too, with Croft jettisoning his nice-guy image to tell tales of bad boys, hit-men and lost souls. Nowhere is this more striking than on “The Edge of the City,” where the protagonist gets his revenge by shooting his brother’s killer. Another case in point is the closer “Never Going Back,” a stark acoustic ballad with eerie overtones similar to Stephen Stills’ “4+20.” Here Croft sings, “Now the buildings look like gravestones / And the wind blows scattered bank notes / And the church bells sing their lonely three notes songs. / I searched all around the darkness / But I found every fire spark-less / and I pray to God they don’t realize I’m gone.” Whatever he’s breaking free from, he’s making damn sure he’s never going back; slashing truck tires and capsizing boats in the process.

“Spinning Rhymes” is another standout and as close to rocking out as Croft has been known to get. He lets loose on the vocals, even adding harmonies and the acoustic guitars add driving urgency.

At times Croft’s lyrics are difficult to pin down. Maybe he gets his ideas from movies. Whatever the case, it leaves the listener to draw conclusions much of the time. What makes the exercise complete is that the music is equally engaging.

Rick Tvedt - Local Sounds Magazine (Sep 29, 2009) - Local Sounds Magazine

Sympathetic Groove - Mark Croft

When I first met Mark Croft a few years back, he was "the guy with the great
right hand." He was a human metronome, a scrappy popster with a
radio-friendly voice. All he needed was a little polish, a chance to find
his groove.

After making his bones at the Kimia, the Cheeseburger and other fine area
venues, here it is: a CD that is required listening. This is an all-out
studio production that hits the right notes and gives bright, crisp tunes
the big, bold production they were meant to have.

This CD is every bit as catchy and listenable as anything John Mayer has
done, with songs that are concise, hook-filled and radio-friendly. There is
a priceless moment during the second song, Don't Speak, when he goes into
the bridge. With that chord change, it becomes apparent then that this
record is something special and unique in this cluttered music stratosphere.
The album simply doesn't let up. The tune, by the way, is clearly the
(first) single on this album.

I especially enjoyed the raw sound of Landslide (and it takes quite a bit of
chutzpah to call a song "Landslide," much less "Don't Speak.") I was happy
the supercool Salvation Train was on this disk, showing off his guitar
chops; and if you didn't know Mark Croft plays piano, check out the soothing
epilogue, Stayed Too Long. I have always enjoyed the song America, which
contains some of his best lyrics and message. I was glad he gave it a full
production here.

I wasn't wild about the percussion at the beginning of The Highway, but it
evolves into a warm, full, lovely sound. I might have stripped down Coming
Home a little more at the beginning and let it build.

These are quibbles. This album is poised to make a big sound, heard far and
wide.

Sympathetic Groove was released on the Abacus Music label, and was produced
by Kelsy Boyd and Mark Croft.
- Madison Songwriters Group

Sympathetic Groove - Mark Croft

When I first met Mark Croft a few years back, he was "the guy with the great
right hand." He was a human metronome, a scrappy popster with a
radio-friendly voice. All he needed was a little polish, a chance to find
his groove.

After making his bones at the Kimia, the Cheeseburger and other fine area
venues, here it is: a CD that is required listening. This is an all-out
studio production that hits the right notes and gives bright, crisp tunes
the big, bold production they were meant to have.

This CD is every bit as catchy and listenable as anything John Mayer has
done, with songs that are concise, hook-filled and radio-friendly. There is
a priceless moment during the second song, Don't Speak, when he goes into
the bridge. With that chord change, it becomes apparent then that this
record is something special and unique in this cluttered music stratosphere.
The album simply doesn't let up. The tune, by the way, is clearly the
(first) single on this album.

I especially enjoyed the raw sound of Landslide (and it takes quite a bit of
chutzpah to call a song "Landslide," much less "Don't Speak.") I was happy
the supercool Salvation Train was on this disk, showing off his guitar
chops; and if you didn't know Mark Croft plays piano, check out the soothing
epilogue, Stayed Too Long. I have always enjoyed the song America, which
contains some of his best lyrics and message. I was glad he gave it a full
production here.

I wasn't wild about the percussion at the beginning of The Highway, but it
evolves into a warm, full, lovely sound. I might have stripped down Coming
Home a little more at the beginning and let it build.

These are quibbles. This album is poised to make a big sound, heard far and
wide.

Sympathetic Groove was released on the Abacus Music label, and was produced
by Kelsy Boyd and Mark Croft.
- Madison Songwriters Group