Mark Croft is a Madison, WI based singer/songwriter, whose talents as a writer, performer, and acoustic guitarist have gained him praise as a classic triple threat. Known for his unforgettable melodies and infectious grooves, Croft breaks the genre barriers to create a mainstream sound from the heart of a folk musician. With the release of his fourth album "Evening Flood" in the fall of 2010, Croft has quickly gained recognition as one of the rising stars of the Midwest music scene.

"Croft isn't afraid of strong rhythms, which is part of the reason his polished singer-songwriter material is ready for prime time. Funk, blues, folk - it's all here. Croft is NOT just another guy with a guitar in the corner of a coffeehouse."
-Isthmus Magazine

"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

Short Description

An acoustic guitar based singer/songwriter with Roots, Pop, & Americana song stylings, Mark Croft is the classic 'triple threat'; a skilled guitar player, a powerful and dynamic vocalist, and a talented songwriter and entertainer.

Full Bio

Mark Croft, Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter, is one of the most distinguished musicians to ignite the Acoustic Pop/Roots scene. A seasoned performer, Croft has been serving up exciting and emotional performances to unsuspecting audiences throughout the nation. His ability to navigate his six-string with superiority, wrapping frantic acoustic riffs around unforgettable melodies, has garnered him praise from press outlets, industry professionals, club owners, and fans alike.
Croft began his musical journey at the tender age of six, plunking out melodies on his parent's piano. He continued his study of the piano for more than a decade, composing some of his first original works while still in his teens. A self-taught guitar player, Mark's love affair with the acoustic began in college; rarely traveling without his guitar and practicing 3 to 4 hours a day. After taking a songwriting class in 2002, Croft began seriously pursuing music; honing his songwriting skills and regularly performing live.
Since turning his attention to music full-time in 2005, Mark has claimed 1st place in the Midwest Song Contest and the Inaugural American Idol Underground Rock Contest, and was voted "Favorite Singer/Songwriter" by Isthmus Magazine's Reader's Poll. A ten-time Madison Area Music Award winner, he was again honored in the spring of 2010 with five awards for his EP The Possibility of Disaster (Slothtrop Records, 2009), taking home "Pop Album", "Pop Song", & "Pop Artist" of the year, as well as "Best Male Vocalist" & "Best Music Video". Croft has shared the stage with a variety of well known artists including Kelly Joe Phelps, John Eddie, and Edina Menzel.
In the fall of 2010, Croft released his latest CD, Evening Flood, to rave reviews. Recorded and mixed at Masters Recording Studio (formerly Flyte Tyme Studios), under the guidance of producer Anthony J.W. Benson and Grammy AwardTM winning engineer Tom Tucker (Prince, Sting, Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt), Evening Flood was mastered by mastering wiz Dominick Maita (Herbie Hancock, Glee Soundtracks, Curtis Stigers, Til Tuesday, Billy Joel) and features a bevy of talented musicians and vocalists including drummer Noah Levy (BoDeans, Five for Fighting, Peter Frampton, Brian Setzer).
Always unafraid to break the genre barriers, Croft takes inspiration from a variety of musical styles and blends them into his own Pop/Roots approach to songwriting. The CD features the rousing funk-infused single "The Gas Is On" written in the wake of the gulf oil spill and reflects on its global impact and aftermath. In a repertoire brimming with memorable pop singles, Local Sounds Magazine called the title track, "Evening Flood", "the best-written, most succinct pop song he's done yet", while his Top-40-Country-tinged, "Good Enough", "comes in a close second." Croft incorporates genres like southern funk ("If She's Gonna Shake It"), swampy blues ("One Mississippi"), gospel ("Amen and Hallelujah"), and gypsy swing ("The Crow and the Raven"), in the process, he demonstrates his versatility and maturity as a songwriter, storyteller and performer. 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".
As someone who loves to perform live, Mark plays more than 120 live shows a year, and has taken the stage at a variety of prestigious venues across the country including festivals, theaters, and music clubs. Continuing to build on his professional music foundation as an exciting recording artist and gifted songwriter, Croft balances studio time with touring and performing live as a solo act, or with his band.

Awards/Achievements

2011
- Winner of Broadjam's "Perform at CRS" contest
- 3rd place overall Great Lakes Song Contest "One Mississippi"
- "Best Male Vocalist" Madison Area Music Awards

2010
- Voted "Best Male Vocalist", Pop Artist, Album, Song of the Year" Madison Area Music Awards

2008
- 2nd Place in Great Lakes Song Contest for "Is It Gonna Be Funky?"
- Voted "Pop Artist" and "Pop Album of the Year" at Madison Area Music Awards

2007
- Voted "Madison's Favorite Singer/Songwriter" in Isthmus Reader's Poll

2006
- Voted "Best New Artist" & "Best Male Vocalist" at Madison Area Music Awards
- "Winner" Midwest Song Contest - "Don't Speak"
- "Winner" American Idol Underground Inaugural Rock Contest

2005
- Featured Artist - ACIDPLANET.com Remix Contest -
- Midwest Song Contest winner - Folk category