Mark Bemesderfer had been singing his entire life, from choruses as a kid to a capella in college to a couple of bar bands as an adult, but he’d never intended to record an album of his own material. Yes, he’d written some songs—though his bands performed mostly B-side covers, he’d sneak in the odd original from time to time—but they existed solely as voice memos on his phone.

 

They likely would have stayed there if he hadn’t crossed paths with Zak Lloyd in the fall of 2016, when they found themselves in the same West LA karaoke bar. Zak, a producer and multi-instrumentalist, was there entertaining clients, while Mark was there doing what he loved best.

 

After hearing Mark sing, Zak struck up a conversation. Despite the effect of whiskey on Zak's already thick Welsh brogue, they managed to make a plan to try working together. Over the ensuing months, they crafted songs and found their sound, a throwback to the singer-songwriters of the 1970s. The result was a serendipitous, soulful collaboration, Cragmont—first heard on their 2017 debut album Spill and now on the follow-up Fool's Goldmine.