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Friday, April 24, 2020 (Asheville, NC) – Today, Mark Bumgarner premieres the title track from his forthcoming record Just Above The Waterline. Out June 2nd via SJ21 Records & Tapes, the third solo release from the Western North Carolina mainstay marks the songwriter’s debut on former MerleFestartist director Steve Johnson’s new label. Longtime friends, the new venture consummates a musical partnership years in the making. The pair first got together when Johnson, a champion of Bumgarner’s work since his days with former outfit Jubal Foster, offered the songwriter an opportunity to host the then-budding MerleFest band competition in 2015. Nearly a decade later, the two are once again teaming up to bring Bumgarner’s latest batch of tracks out into the world, and showcasing Johnson’s dexterity when it comes to the many hats he wears in the music industry.
Label head Steve Johnson is proud to add Bumgarner to the SJ21 family. “I’m excited to be working with Mark. His musical versatility is showcased so well on this release. From his songwriting to his multi-instrumentalist prowess it’s all here and laid bare. Mark is the epitome of true ‘Southern Americana’ and I can’t wait to help share that sound with audiences around the world.”
Riding on the heels of two self produced projects, Bumgarner’s 2020 release masterfully summarizes a nearly 20-year span of his life. Threading together an expansive tapestry of experiences, Waterline stands out his most dynamic work to date.
Featuring appearances by Jubal Foster bandmates Milan Miller and Jeff Smith, and cameos from GRAMMY and IBMA award-winning musicians including Nicky Sanders (Steep Canyon Rangers), Darren Nicholson(Balsam Range), and Tim Stafford (Blue Highway), Waterline is laced with powerful instrumental arrangements from some of the most celebrated voices in Americana today, and highlights Bumgarner’s vast circle of musical cohorts spanning two decades of collaborations.
Though the album is stuffed with deeply personal musings on life, the material is wholly relatable. In true “songwriter’s songwriter” fashion, Bumgarner has managed to tap into universal sentiments and create a mirror in which listeners can see themselves in his work. Equal parts inquisitive and wise, the new release proves that even veteran artists still bear the same curiosity as their newly blooming counterparts. With a gritty, troubadour spirit, Bumgarner impeccably summons the essence of folk and roots heroes that came before him, while offering a refreshing vantage all his own. At its core, Just Above the Waterline is the story of an artist that never quite feels finished, and proves that the term “work in progress” is a badge one should wear proudly – especially when it leads to musical triumphs like this.
Just Above The Waterline will be available for purchase and streaming on all major platforms Tuesday, June 2, 2020. For more information and to preorder the record, visit www.markbumgarnermusic.com.