Mike Munson

Mike Munson (Winona, MN) plays American music in the truest sense. With over a decade of long drives to well-lit, expansive stages, tiny dive bars, and everything in between, Munson has seen plenty of the country that influences his songwriting. He is a listener first, soaking up the subtleties of stylistic differences of players from rural Mississippi to St. Paul, Minnesota. He studies the mastery of past heroes like Fred McDowell and Charlie Christian as well as living legends like Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and Leo Kottke.

Averaging a minimum of 150+ shows a year in small towns and urban areas alike, Munson loves to play music for people. His songwriting leaves much to interpretation and continues to evolve through new collaborations and the passing of time. Even he is not sure what genre best describes his work but that has not stopped others from noticing. He has been mentioned in magazines including Smithsonian, Guitar Player, and No Depression. He has also been invited to appear at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and the Bentonia Blues Festival among many other notable appearances and accolades.

Building on his solo career, the Mike Munson Trio has recently gained acclaim and prestige. Formed in collaboration with bassist Nick Salisbury and drummer Lars-Erik Larson, the group has headlined regional festivals and filled stages large and small with their collective musical stylings. The band builds on Munson’s rich catalog adding modern jazz and traditional folk songs to the mix. In spring of 2025, they released four fresh singles and accompanying videos.

In 2024, Munson released his tenth full-length album, Perihelion Day (Liatris Records). Using the moniker upup/OVER, he has continued to expand his creative playing field with this acoustic, instrumental record. Inspired by time and space and the distance between humans and nature, upup/OVER is an exploration of big issues through the lens of American primitive guitar. From galleries to house concerts to churches, this sparse, ambient music has mesmerized and entranced audiences and often evokes deep emotion.

In the early years of his career, Munson had the privilege of recording the album Rose Hill (2018) at the Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia, Mississippi. He had thrived under the direct and poignant mentorship of Grammy nominee Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, who invited him to join his record label. The two became regular traveling partners with Munson accompanying Holmes on stage and on the road. Having come face to face with the living history of blues music, Munson’s sound is marked by a reverence for this historic southern artform, which is laden with intricate fingerpicking and hypnotic rhythms. Munson translates the myriad lessons gleaned throughout his years of travel and performance into a constant effort to use his guitar to contribute to the unfolding story of American music.