Having established himself as an adept slide guitar player, Mike Munson is steeped in the country blues tradition. His original works weave together dark lyrics, impossibly fast-paced finger-picking and grinding rhythms. His sound marks the similarities and highlights the distance between Fred McDowell, Leo Kottke and Chuck Berry.

The Midwest is home but the Mississippi Delta has been his training ground. With his fourth release, Rose Hill (2018) Munson traced the blues tradition to its birthplace, recording at the Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia, Mississippi on the Blue Front Record label. Studying under and performing alongside the Grammy nominee Jimmy “Duck” Holmes has informed Munson’s style and refined his craft. Blues is the backbone of Munson’s songwriting as it is the origin story of all American music.

Munson has built a body of work that blends his Midwestern home with his Mississippi travels. From sad and somber slow tunes to swampy, caterwauling stompers, his music is a master class in creative composition and performance, often heavy, yet lyrically compelling and altogether danceable. He never loses sight of his artform or the music’s roots while seeking a sound that is distinctively his own. After releasing the single “Wheels” in early 2021, Munson began recording his sixth full-length album.