Marmalade Mountain

Marmalade Mountain, aka Zack Fischmann, has tumbled through America’s punk-folk-psych-rock scenes, creating songs that blend the homespun aesthetic of K Records with a playful vulnerability akin to folk hero Michael Hurley.

Fischmann cut his teeth playing bass in Bay Area punk bands centered around 924 Gilman, but eventually pawned his gear for an acoustic guitar and hitchhiked to New York City to become a folk singer. Taken under the wing of Feral Foster, he learned the roots of American music and, along with Willy Gantrim, founded the now legendary folk showcase Roots ‘n Ruckus. Returning to Oakland, Fischmann formed folk-punk outfit Shakey Bones, releasing three CDs and touring relentlessly, sharing the stage with Ty Segall, Country Joe McDonald, and Kimya Dawson. He then moved to Portland, OR to join Meth Teeth and record Everything Went Wrong (Woodsist Records).

It was at this point that Marmalade Mountain was born. Gathering together the loose ends of America’s many folk scenes into the sound of a modern troubadour, Marmalade Mountain has evolved from the experimental home recordings on Marmalade Mountain Dreams and Slow Life to the stripped down dating-app soundtrack, ditties, to the indie pop production of Broken World.

Marmalade Mountain’s new album Strange Angels is his most reflective work, balancing nostalgia and playfulness with songs that evoke a laid-back, hopeful approach to loving life and people.