Calico Moon

You never know when love will come around…. Husband-and-wife duo, Mark and Aimee Bumgarner embody this truth both in their music and in their personal story. Musically, their roots country sound has a keenly polished edge, while also possessing a genuine authenticity that’s born of a shared southern Appalachian upbringing. Personally, it was a chance encounter at a Del McCoury concert in Asheville, North Carolina that first brought the two together. The connection was instantaneous, and, in the midst of the budding romance that followed, an unexpected musical union was formed.

Mark’s musical journey was already well underway when the two met in 2005. A seasoned musician, Mark had performed over the years with several national and regional touring bands and had recently returned to western North Carolina after spending ten years in Nashville, Tennessee. Although Aimee grew up in a musical family, this self-described “front porch singer” had never given much thought to performing music professionally. She had recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and was teaching English at a public high school just north of Asheville.
It was there on the front porch of Aimee’s little mountain cabin that, early in their courtship, the musical roots took hold. It began with what can only be described as a natural and uncanny vocal blend that seemed to be years, if not a lifetime in the making. Mark and Aimee were married in May of 2007. As they settled into their new life together, Mark continued to develop as a solo artist. This also provided the next step in their shared musical evolution. Mark’s 2009 “On My Way Back Home” release would feature Aimee on the classic Johnny and June duet “If I Were a Carpenter”. The undeniable magic of that one track convinced them that what they had together was for real and much bigger than the confines of their front porch. From there they started regularly performing together as Calico Moon and began recording what would become "When Love Comes Around", their 2012 debut album. 

These days, with the focus on their still young family,  Calico Moon performs a limited number of engagements and special events, while Mark continues to perform and record as a solo artist. As for what the future holds.....  Mark and Aimee know that Calico Moon will continue to be part of their life for years to come, whether on stage, writing and recording together, or just singing on their front porch where it all began.