Michael Rudd

  • Going to the Mountain, a new album by Michael Rudd

  • Ten original songs, featuring …

    Pat Malone, guitar (Eric Johnson, Lonnie Mack)

    Brant Leeper, piano/Hammond organ (John Mayall, Buddy Guy)

    Mark Clark, drums (Ottmar Liebert, John Popper)

  • Recorded and Engineered at Frogville Studios in Santa Fe, NM

  • Mastered by Saff Mastering in Chicago

  • Michael Rudd is a songwriter, singer, and musician living in Albuquerque, NM.

  • Rudd’s songs combine Americana, blues, and roots rock to create a sound that’s influenced by the music of Gillian Welch, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Neil Young.

  • Going to the Mountain is Rudd’s second solo studio album. Long Way from Paradise was released in March 2024 by Rudd’s label, Invisible Road Records.

  • Before Long Way from Paradise (March 2024), Rudd recorded an album with his 1990’s NM rockabilly and blues band, Frantic Romantic.

  • Rudd’s next album, Ways of the World, will be released in October 2025.

Going to the Mountain

"Michael Rudd creates emotional landscapes in his songs... a gem, full of grit and longing, insight and inquiry into the things that make us human, providing a glimpse into stories that anyone can relate to. The music that he uses to further tell the stories is rich and full." Amplify Music Magazine https://amplifymusicmag.com/interview-michael-rudd-about-his-new-americana-album-going-to-the-mountain/

"... sophisticatedly charged... a bit of desert rock. A hot, dry, potent and ominous prickle of danger. His voice perfectly suits the genre since it waves and changes shape like a dune... There’s a delicacy to Rudd’s composition and he exudes this with finesse." Americana Highways https://americanahighways.org/2025/03/24/reviews-michael-rudd-going-to-the-mountain/

“Languorous instrumental layers are the perfect base for Rudd’s smoothly tuneful vocal performance.” Americana UK https://americana-uk.com/video-premiere-michael-rudd-going-to-the-mountain

"Across its ten tracks, Rudd draws from his life experience to craft wisened Americana, folk, and roots rock. There are moments of lively rocking and more quiet and poignant slices of life, showcasing Rudd’s versatility as a songwriter." Glide https://glidemagazine.com/311265/album-premiere-michael-rudd-crafts-wisened-americana-tunes-on-new-lp-going-to-the-mountain/

"...the tuneage is more appropriate for an American civilization that’s creaking awkwardly around on its last legs; sung in a baritone that’s both weary and indestructible, Rudd weaves a tapestry comprising dream fugues ('Going To The Mountain'), quiet soul-searching ('End Of Days') and spidery unplugged honky-tonk ('Walk My Way'). A+" The Hippo https://hippopress.com/author/eric-w-saeger/

“a vision that is … broad and varied, which in many moments recalls the relaxation, elegance and spontaneity of a JJ Cale and the 'swampy' atmospheres of a Tony Joe White with a baggage of roots properly rationed …” Roots Highway https://www.rootshighway.it/outsiders/2025/rudd.htm

“Rudd guides the songs, connecting the diverse sonics of each cut with a deep vocal that demands attention …. melodies [that} are mysterious, the playing subtle …..stories of ….desert dwellers…searching for themselves in the openness, safe within the freedoms that living on the edge of the world provides.” The Alternate Root http://www.thealternateroot.com/breaking-thru.html

Long Way from Paradise

“...extremely infectious, soft as a Southwest breeze with a sonic expanse as wide as a desert.” The Alternate Root


 “...a triumph of rediscovery and musical expression...born from a place of introspection and self-discovery, reflecting Rudd’s journey back to his musical roots.” The Concert Chronicles

“....a collection of haunting original songs that address hidden contents of the human experience [and] chronicles the interior life of people somewhat adrift - their shame, regret, loneliness, and the potentially redemptive power of love.” Albuquerque the Magazine

Articles by Michael

Muse by Clios: 10 Great Covers from Albums that Inspired a Career. https://musebyclios.com/art-of-the-album/10-great-covers-from-albums-that-inspired-a-singers-career/