JANUARY 2015
THE LOOK UP ALBUM IS RELEASED!
After a year of recording, crowdfunding, preparing, and road-testing, I'm thrilled to officially release my new record!
Please support me by purchasing the album:
at Amazon
at iTunes
or, even better, direct from my own online store.
If you'd rather mail-order the old fashioned way and pay by check, CLICK HERE and print the order form.
Thanks to so many of you who have been encouraging me along the way. I have poured my heart and soul into these songs, and I want to be part of the soundtrack to your 2015!
Here's a the official music video for "Prioritize Us," the first song from the LOOK UP album!
Check out these interviews in the Chicago Sun-Times and The Mining Journal in anticipation of the new album's release!
Later this month I'll be performing a series of concerts across the North woods...check my DATES page for complete details.
DECEMBER 2014
Thanks to everybody who came out to hear Walter and me on our Midwest tour! It was great to see you all. Special thanks to our fine hosts, and our collaborating musical friends!
NOVEMBER 2014
FREE DOWNLOAD! In honor of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I've posted this previously unreleased recording which you can download now for free at my BandCamp page. This is one of my earliest compositions, written when I was a teenage geo-political rocker. I recorded this updated version five years ago for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall, but the song remained unreleased. Finally, here it is!
MORE VIDEOS AT YOUTUBE! Last month I played a plethora of shows across the Midwest, including a series of gigs with my great friend and long-time collaborator, percussionist Lowell Michelson. Here we are doing an unplugged version of "Rynkô," a tune from the debut Kaivama album. Also, CLICK HERE for a video from the Folk Alliance Region Midwest conference, where I got to sing and play with Trish Bruxvoort Colligan.
VARIOUS ALBUM APPEARANCES
This past year I've had the pleasure of contributing to a variety of recording projects by other artists. This month a few of those albums will get wide releases! Here are three of them...
I was the producer for Chris Steubing's debut album of Lutheran-songwriter rock. I'll also join Chris and band for the album's release show on Saturday, November 15, 2014.
Matt Arthur & The Bratlanders are celebrating the vinyl release of their debut album. I played harmonium and piano on this great recording, and I'm thrilled to appear on vinyl for the first time!
One of my most-influential songwriters Jeff Krebs has released a new album of kids' music as Papa Crow. I contributed harmonium to this excellent album of Yooper-centric nature songs.
OCTOBER 2014
In addition to a bunch of solo-acoustic shows this month, I'm very psyched to be playing a series of duo concerts with percussionist Lowell Michelson!
You may know Lowell from our very earliest days on the road, or from his touring with the band Echelon, OR from his countless appearances on my albums over the years. Lowell is one of my favorite musicians and bestest pals, and I hope you can check us out: OCT 7-10.
From October 23-25 I'll be attending the Folk Alliance Region Midwest conference in St. Louis! I'm scheduled to play a series of late-night showcases, and I'm looking forward to collaborating with other artists like Trish Bruxvoort-Colligan!
Zero Hour Records in Australia has just released Power Pop Unplugged, a double-CD compilation of artists from around the world playing acoustic versions of their New Wave faves from bands such as Cheap Trick, XTC, Rockpile, Nick Lowe, and The Romantics. I'm thrilled to appear on this album, doing my own mandola-and-harmonium powered interpretation of the Todd Rundgren / Utopia classic "One World!" Order the album HERE for a special introductory price of $6 (plus shipping)!
INTERVIEWS
In recent weeks I've been interviewed by various media outlets regarding my forthcoming LOOK UP album, my recent tour dates, and my crowdfunding experience. Check out the interviews below:
- Tips for a successful PledgeMusic campaign, via PledgeMusic blog
- Singer sets aside folk to rock out on new CD, via LaCrosse Tribune
- Now Hear This: Jonathan Rundman, via Petoskey News Review / Graphic
SEPTEMBER 2014
In 2004 Beki Hemingway and I recorded and released our Americana duet album Tennesota! This month we're celebrating the album's 10 year anniversary. We have only 20 copies of the CD left, and we're making them available now in a special $15 bundle: a signed copy of Tennesota, a Salt Lady Records Extra Credit sampler CD featuring rare Beki & Jonathan songs, AND a download card for the out-of-print Beki & Jonathan Christmas EP Present. Click here to order!
SEPTEMBER TOUR DATES!
Upper Michigan, Lower Michigan, and California! Details at my dates page.
- FRI 12 Rapid River, MI
- SAT 13 Petoskey, MI
- SUN 14 Lake Ann (Traverse City), MI
- MON 15 Sault Ste Marie, MI
- SAT 27 Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
- SUN 28 Manhattan Beach, CA
I've got some cool dates developing across the Midwest this Fall and Winter. Specifically, I'd love to find a couple dates in Ohio early next month, near St. Louis on OCT 26, and in the U.P. on JAN 30.
Email rundman@gmail.com if you've got ideas for towns, venues, hosts, or events where I should play!
I've got new promo posters created in Northfield, MN by Dig and Be Doug design!
AUGUST 2014
'Twas great to see old and new friends on my East Coast tour last week! Now in August I'm excited to be zipping across the Midwest for a weekend of shows with fiddle/mandolin phenom Jake Armerding! Check us out on FRIDAY, AUGUST 8 in Madison, WI; SATURDAY, AUGUST 9 in Peoria, IL; and SUNDAY, AUGUST 10 in Cedar Rapids, IA in a special performance with Trish Bruxvoort Colligan!
So that you can more conveniently find out when I'll be playing in your neighborhood, I'm trying a new online platform for my tour dates. Check out my bandsintown.com page...there you can click the "Track This Artist" box for updates when I'm in your area, share specific shows across social media, RSVP, buy tickets, and more.
Harmonium on wheels...
Some fun behind-the-scenes photos (including this one of my harmonium load-in!) are featured in a recent article in the Wisconsin State Journal. Back in June during Walter Salas-Humara's Midwest tour, our Madison show was covered by a reporter who was profiling the awesome venue Kiki's House of Righteous Music.
In other press-related news: Jake Armerding and I were interviewed by the Peoria News Bulletin in advance of this Saturday's show...read the interview here!
STREAMING AUDIO LINK, good for the week of August 3rd: http://stream.wusb.stonybrook.edu:8090/content/7Sun-1230.1.pls
On Sunday, August 3rd, WUSB radio in Long Island, NY, broadcasted an hour-long special interview with singer/songwriter Brent Bourgeois in support of his new album Don't Look Back. I was very happy to contribute to the interview myself...I spoke with the host about Brent's guest vocal appearance on my forthcoming LOOK UP album. This streaming-audio link can be opened in iTunes...listen around 28:00 for my comments, and then hear an exclusive preview of my yet-to-be-released song "Northbound Traffic" featuring Brent's harmonies.
JULY 2014
I'm very excited to be traversing the continent in the coming months! Visit my DATES page for specific info...
LISTEN FOR ME ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO THIS MONTH
Last Fall I had the amazing opportunity to perform live on NPR's Mountain Stage radio show. Joining me were the brilliant Jake Armerding on fiddle/mandolin and Matt Patrick on electric guitar. Performing on the same show were favorites of mine songwriter Jill Sobule and Midwestern rock legends the BoDeans, complete with Kenny Aronoff on drums. Incredible!
This month, in the week after July 18th, NPR will be re-broadcasting the episode! Check your local Public Radio listings, and tune in to hear me sing the folk song "Stagger Lee" with fellow Finnish-American Minnesotan guitarist Erik Koskinen, Kurt from the BoDeans, and Kenny playing drums...a highlight of my career!
Lutherans in Australia are singing my songs!
INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING NEWS Songwriter and publisher Robin Mann has provided liturgical resources to Lutheran congregations in Australia for decades. I'm very pleased to announce that Robin's latest published compilation ALL TOGETHER ALL RIGHT features three of my songs: the atmospheric "Calm The Storm," the trucker-Gospel "No One Does The Things My Lord Can Do," and the audience fave "Hey Hey Samuel." It's so cool to think of people on the other side of the globe singing my songs! Visit Robin's webpage and check out his resources for church musicians.
Last month I spent a very fun week on tour playing keyboards with Walter Salas-Humara! Check out our appearance live on WGN-TV in Chicago! We're playing Walter's new pop gem "Like A Satellite," complete with satellite hats. Other new videos appear at my YouTube channel.
JUNE 2014
I'm super psyched to be the guest keyboardist for Walter Salas-Humara on his solo Midwest tour this week. Walter is one of my all-time favorite songwriters (you may know him from his band The Silos), and he's also the producer of my 2004 album Public Library.
We've had some shows already, and have a few more to go:
TUES, JUNE 3: Aster Cafe, Minneapolis
THURS, JUNE 5: Kiki's House of Righteous Music, Madison, WI with Wooldridge Brothers Email to RSVP
FRI, JUNE 6: Schuba's, Chicago, IL, with Jon Langford
The Lutheran camps in South Dakota have produced an album of songs they sing at campfires...and they've included a couple tunes that I wrote! Thanks, Dakotans! Check out their Songs We Love album at Bandcamp.
MAY 2014
My PledgeMusic crowdfunding campaign was successful, and has now closed. The LOOK UP album is complete, and the official public release date will be sometime in the coming months. Stay tuned!
STUDIO ADVENTURES: I'm very pleased to have contributed accordion, harmonica, Wurlitzer electric piano, and pre-production consulting for the brand new album WILD ACRE by Trish Bruxvoort-Colligan. Preview Trish's beautiful new songs here:
INVITE ME TO PLAY A CONCERT IN YOUR TOWN! Available dates and locations: LATE JULY in DC, VA, PA, NY; EARLY AUGUST in WI, IA, IL; MID SEPTEMBER in MN, WI, UP of MI; EARLY OCTOBER in OH, MI, IN, IL, PA. Email rundman@gmail.com with ideas for venues, hosts, events, etc. Cool stuff is developing....see you out on the road!
APRIL 2014
The crowdfunding campaign for my new album LOOK UP has passed the 100% milestone!
Thanks so much to all of you who have pledged so far...my album will now be funded!
This is not the end, however! Pledges will still be received until early May, so you still have time to pre-order the album...you'll receive the download (and even the CD if you'd like!) next month, and your Summer 2014 road-trip soundtrack will be ready to rock. CLICK HERE to visit my PledgeMusic site, read about my album, watch the invitation video, and check out the options for pledging.
MARCH 2014
These past few months have found me spending a lot of time in the studio! In addition to recording my new album, I've had the pleasure of playing sessions for other artists. Recently I played accordion for the new album by East Coast folk songwriter Robbie Schafer...and his album Ruby has now been released! Check it out on iTunes and listen for me playing on the lovely song "Hole In The Sky."
WINTERTIME MEDIA COVERAGE: I got interviewed in the Living Lutheran blog regarding my music and my support of the ELCA's World Hunger program. Also, I appeared as a guest on the Things That Matter podcast where I talked about this collaboration.
FEBRUARY 2014
Big big big big news! I'm recording a new album entitled LOOK UP, and I'm using PledgeMusic.com as a platform for funding the project. CLICK HERE to visit my Pledge site!
Over the past year I've had a crowdfunding conversion experience. I've shared these thoughts on my BLOG.
DECEMBER 2013
Just announced! On SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28th, 2013 I'll be the opening act for THE BoDEANS here in Burnsville, MN! I'm super excited to play a show with one of my most formative bands, especially since the glorious Kenny Aronoff will be playing drums with them! I'd love to see you at the show…tickets are $40 and $45 reserved seating. Show information HERE.
I've been doing a ton of studio sessions this Fall, and it's been a great pleasure. There will be super-cool guest appearances unveiled in the new year, and here are some just-released projects that you can sample immediately! I played piano and vintage Stringvox keyboard on the Storm Home compilation of liturgical music, and I sang on Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan's new collection of Psalm settings.
(Hey, BTW, if you're working on a recording, you could possibly hire me to sing/play on your project! Email me at rundman@gmail.com to share your idea…)
NOVEMBER 2013
A couple weeks ago National Public Radio aired the episode of Mountain Stage featuring the BoDeans, Jill Sobule, The Pines, and me ! Yow! The show is archived at the NPR page….link here to listen! Videos from my performances are uploaded at my YouTube Channel.
Ten years ago I was wrapping up the tracking for what would become the Public Library album, produced by the brilliant Walter Salas Humara and featuring The Silos. In celebration of that musically momentous occasion, I'm releasing a deluxe digital edition of the album, available at my BandCamp page. In addition the original album's 11 songs, you'll receive 6 bonus tracks including the acoustic demo of "Librarian," an alternate take of "Second Language," and the shelved first version of "Smart Girls" (recorded in a key too low for me to sing)! Check out the audio streaming below...
OCTOBER 2013
Autumn, my favorite season! I've got some very unusual and cool musical appearances coming up:
On THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17th I've been invited to play my tune "Norman Borlaug Polka" at the World Food Prize Laureate Ceremony, held at the State Capitol Building in Des Moines, IA! I've recorded a brand new Acoustic Trio version of the tune....check it out, and download it for $1.
Those of you in Iowa can tune in live at 7PM and watch the ceremony live on Iowa Public Television!
Then, during the week following October 25th I'll be appearing on the National Public Radio program Mountain Stage! Click here to check your local NPR station for the show's airdate and time, and listen in! It was a thrill to share the bill with amazing artists like Jill Sobule and the BoDeans. Here's a video preview of "Libarian" from that episode of Mountain Stage, recorded live during the show's taping a few weeks ago:
