NEWS
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SEPTEMBER 2017
Big thanks to ELCA 500 for featuring me in the Our Lutheran Life video series! I share a bit about my family story, and some theological / musical connections. Plus there' a special guest appearance, and some historic locations...
I'm on the CREATE! EXPLODE! REPEAT! podcast:
Big thanks to MR. GEE for a very thoughtful and well informed interview. Check out our podcast discussion HERE or eventually when the episode posts on iTunes.
SHORT NOTICE:
I’ve got some openings in Iowa and surrounding states in the next few weeks. Possibilities are:
FRIDAY, SEPT 8: I could play anywhere from Madison to Rockford to the Quad Cities, or in any of those areas.
SATURDAY, SEPT 16: On this date I’m bound for North-Central Nebraska, so I could play a concert anywhere from Sioux City, Iowa, and Westward…
SATURDAY, SEPT 23: On this date I need to be bound for Northern Iowa, so I could play anywhere from Fort Dodge to Waterloo, or maybe even Ames or Austin, MN.
Email me rundman@gmail.com if you’ve got ideas for locations, events, or concert hosts.
AUGUST 2017
BOOK ME!
Hey friends, I really want to fill a few more dates on my Fall calendar. This coming year I'll get to visit places where I almost never play, including New England and Florida! If you live in those areas and you'd like me to play, this might be our only chance. Texans, I'd love to play for you again in March of 2018! I could play at your local college, church, art gallery, bar, or even in your own living room. Email rundman@gmail.com if you've got any ideas. Thanks so much for 25 years of support!
This Summer I was commissioned by Bear Creek Lutheran Camp in Pennsylvania to write a theme song for their Summer program, based on the Bible verse Romans 12:1-2. The result is "Body And Mind," which I have posted at my Bandcamp page:
JULY 2017
Whoa, I had a BLAST playing in Germany at the Luther500 Festival in June! Danke Schön to all!
The RESERVOIR album has been getting some international coverage in the blogosphere. Check out these reviews:
I'm playing a gig with Justin Roberts!
On Wednesday, July 12th, at 6PM, I'll be accompanying Grammy-nominated songwriter Justin Roberts for a free show in Wayzata, MN! CLICK HERE for details...
JUNE 2017
I'm pleased to release a new 22-song retrospective album called Reservoir, in celebration of my 25th anniversary as a recording artist!
You may download the album NOW and/or order the CD from My BandCamp page:
This Winter/Spring I've had a lot of fun producing and engineering an intellectual property podcast called Better Patents Now. I also wrote and produced the show's theme song. Check it out at my SoundCloud page:
MAY 2017
These past couple months I've had a lot of fun making a horror movie with my family. It's a nine-minute short film called Beware Barstempii and you can watch it below:
The kids composed and performed original music for the movie's soundtrack. The official soundtrack EP is downloadable for free (or pay what you want) at my BandCamp page:
MARCH 2017
I'm very excited to have contributed to the new acoustic album Work: Part Two by songwriter extraordinaire Walter Salas-Humara! Hear me sing harmony and play piano, accordion, and harmonium throughout the album, DOWNLOADABLE HERE.
I've added a series of new videos at my YouTube channel, featuring performances recorded on tour with Beki Hemingway last year!
JANUARY 2017
Back in 2011 I wrote a fiddle tune in Borlaug's honor, and in 2013 was invited to perform it at the Iowa State Capital Building, broadcast live on Iowa Public Television. Now, for the first time, there is sheet music available for the tune. CLICK on the image of the sheet music for a free PDF. And, you may download the studio version of the song HERE for free at BandCamp, or pay what you want.
Come see me on tour this Winter!
I was very pleased to contribute some keyboard tracks to the new recording by the Minnesota Americana band Pleasure Horse. Check out this cool song "Charley" featuring me on Hammond Organ. I love to do recording sessions, in the studio, or remotely by sharing audio files online. You can hire me to play on your next recording project...CLICK HERE for some information on my work as a session musician. Congrats to Pleasure Horse on the release of their EP!
OCTOBER 2016
Big thanks to everybody in Finland for welcoming me during my #JonathanSuomeen tour! Here's a video of my performance at the Loimaa Art Museum, featuring Arto Järvelä!
SEPTEMBER 2016
BIG NEWS: In October I'll be performing at the LOST IN MUSIC festival in Tampere, Finland! There are other Finnish dates developing, too ...visit my DATES page to check out my plans for touring in my ancestral homeland!
More new videos have been posted on my YouTube Channel! Here's "Diner By The Train" recorded live a few weeks ago:
AUGUST 2016
There are new videos at my YouTube channel! Here's one:
JULY 2016
Psyched to be heading out on tour with Walter Salas-Humara.
JUNE 2016
I'm very excited to announce this show: On THURSDAY, JUNE 9th, 2016 I'll be performing with my band at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis! It's my first hometown concert in a year, and my first time since 2013 to play at The Cedar, one of the best venues in the country. CLICK HERE for advance tickets and show details. My band and I will play at 8PM. It's ALL AGES, so please bring the family!
MAY 2016
In the year 2008 I released the album INSOMNIACCOMPLISHMENTS. I was home with a baby and a preschooler at the time, and so I did not promote or tour in support of the record. Eventually it fell out of print and became my "lost album." Now, eight years later, I thought I should give it another chance at life. The album has been reissued as a special hand-numbered limited edition CD, with a brand new design and photographs from the original album sessions. Order now for $15!
One of my all-time favorite songwriters WALTER SALAS-HUMARA of THE SILOS has released a new solo album, Explodes & Disappears. I'm thrilled to have co-written the first song on the album "Diner By The Train," and I sing harmony and play keyboards throughout the album as well!
I've had other fun adventures as a studio musician this Spring, too! Here's a song "New Cliche" from the new album by Minneapolis folk trio THE LOWLAND LAKERS. I play accordion on the album:
MARCH 2016
It's been a dream of mine to have my solo albums released in my ancestral homeland of Finland. Therefore, I'm THRILLED to announce that my new album LOOK UP is now available there! Check out the hashtag #JonathanSuomeen to follow the album's Finnish campaign across social media platforms.
Johanna at Hurja Media is helping me introduce my music to 5 million people across the ocean who have never heard of me before!
The LOOK UP album went on sale at Digelius Music in Helsinki on February 19th!
In celebration of the album's release in Finland, I've released a new video for the song "The Ballad of Nikolaus Rungius" which premiered on PasteMagazine.com this month!
JANUARY 2016
A few years ago when I was playing Nordic folk music I wrote some fiddle tunes that were rarely (and sometimes never) performed. Thanks to the magic of Noteflight software, I'm now able to share sheet music and audio references with anyone who might want to play the tunes, experiment with arrangements, etc! Click on the image below to access a PDF file of the sheet music for my previously unheard tune "Stethoscope," AND for the tune "Rynkö" from the Kaivama album. If you learn tune and create a cool arrangement for it, email me rundman@gmail.com and let me know! Have fun!
OCTOBER 2015
This month's Western States tour was amazing. Special thanks to WALTER SALAS-HUMARA for having me in the band for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco! I'm also appearing and co-writing a song on Walter's forthcoming new album...CLICK HERE to support his Pledgemusic.com campaign to fund the record.
SEPTEMBER 2015
I'm just out the door for a two-week tour to Colorado and California! If you want to check out what I've been up to for the past month, visit my YouTube Channel where you can see some brand new videos of recent performances. Below you'll see a rare solo performance of "The Ballad of Nikolaus Rungius" recorded at the Porcupine Mountains Music Festival, AND you can also check out clips from my house concert with Bob Walkenhorst of The Rainmakers.
JULY 2015
I had a blast last month playing shows across Minnesota with Walter Salas-Humara! On the afternoon of our show in Duluth I stopped by KUMD radio to perform on their Live from Studio A series.
The audio is archived at the KUMD website...stream the audio HERE. Host Christine Dean asked some excellent questions and I performed "Helicopters of Love," "Home Unknown," and "The Serious Kind."
ALSO: check out this review of my LOOK UP album in the Duluth News Tribune newspaper!
MAY 2015
I'm really excited to get back on the road in May, after spending the past couple months laying low in Minneapolis. I'll be zipping across Michigan, flying out to the Pacific Northwest and coming back to the Midwest in June to play my official hometown release show for my new LOOK UP album!
Visit my TOUR DATES page for complete venue information.
APRIL 2015
introducing the CREATIVITY DRILL PODCAST!
I'm very exited to announce the launch of my first-ever adventure in podcasting!
CREATIVITY DRILL is hosted by me along with my brilliant wife Dr. Dawn Rundman. Together we visit with an amazing series of artists, musicians, authors, designers, performers, and creative explorers.
You can listen and subscribe to the show via the iTunes store.
Just import the episodes into your smartphone and take us along with you on your morning commute, on the treadmill at the gym, or on your next road trip or plane ride! Podcasts are also very good for listening while washing dishes or raking leaves.
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
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 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!
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.
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!
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