Jonathan Mudd

“ Great pop-rock...smart guitars and tuneful melody making.”

— The Washington Post

Big melodies. Big guitars. Big grooves. And maybe even a few big ideas.

This is Jonathan Mudd.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer...veteran of pop and rock combos out of the Carolinas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington, DC...plugging away as ever...and just now hitting his musical stride.

The Washington Post called "Any Good Heaven," Jonathan's solo debut, "great pop-rock." Washington City Paper raved about the "slinky power-pop" on his follow-up, "Truth Lies." And in a four-star review of "Evidence," Blurt pointed to Jonathan's "uncommonly confident mastery of the pop form."

Released in late 2019, Jonathan's latest full-length effort is "(re)animate," an intimate, stripped-down affair featuring a collective of 26 musician-friends Jonathan has played with (or always wanted to play with) over the course of his career.

In 2021, Jonathan and The Powers That Be dropped a re-tooled, re-imagined cover of The Police's 1983 hit "Every Breath You Take."

Check out Jonathan's catalog of songs and look for him playing at a club or concert hall near you.

Taking a breath...

Man, a whole lot of water has passed under the bridge since I last posted here...

Seems like yesterday and it seems like forever ago, but in early 2020, I was onstage with my band The Powers That Be, celebrating the release of "(re)animate" and playing the songs from that record for the first time in front of a live audience. It was a thrill. The group had spent several months rehearsing and refining the material, and it showed. Drummer Chuck Sullivan, keyboardist Ed O'Connell, bassist Cal Everett…

Finding Our Way

Man, time flies. I planned to write this blog about a month ago, but I got distracted by other things—namely, assembling and rehearsing a new band to perform the songs from (re)animate live. More on that later. Meantime, I thought I’d share some thoughts about one of my favorite songs on the record…and maybe my favorite song I’ve ever composed: “Find Our Way.”

“Find Our Way” was written for my wife, Carol, when we were still courting. (Do people still say ‘courting’? Or does it only apply to frogs?). We…

(RE)ANIMATE!

I thought it would be cool to use this space to tell the stories behind the songs on (re)animate, and to shine a little light on the terrific musicians who helped bring them to life. Might as well start with the first cut on the album, “Take It Back Baby.”

As you'll glean from the lyrics, the song is about how, once you say something out loud, you can never take it back. It doesn’t matter how much you try to explain or clarify or walk it back, the words are out there, echoing around in the atmosphere…

Who's who?

Yo!

I'm psyched to say that--at long last--my new album is finally coming out!

Things got a bit delayed, but on November 19, "(re)animate" will be available here on my website, as well as via Apple Music/iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Spotify, Soundcloud, and so many damn online stores and streaming apps around the world that I'll never keep up with it. I think all that distribution is cool--after all, the point is to get the music out there so people can hear it. If it turns out that somebody in Bufoo downloads…

The Powers That Be

Hello, gang!

If you're reading this, you've likely noticed that my website has a new look and feel. Kinda cool, right? Well, I figured with a new record coming out in a few months, it was high time for a facelift. I hope you like it, and that you can find your way around.

I'm really excited about my new album, which is currently slated for release on October 15 (with a pre-release for all you fine folks on my mailing list). I am calling the record "(re)animate" because it is just that--as well as a…

Hey, Nineteen!

Hello, old friends...and welcome new ones!

Let me start by saying how excited I am about 2019. I've got several fun musical projects in the works and I cannot wait to share them with you.

First, I am now completing the mixes for a new album that will mark the culmination of one of the coolest, craziest musical journeys I've ever been on. Over the course of the last year, I re-visited a dozen or so of my favorite original songs and along the way re-wrote, re-arranged, re-recorded...and re-imagined them…

Stripped

Happy new year, friends. I hope you're off to a great 2018.

I hear a lot of people moan and groan about last year, but I really enjoyed 2017. I had some wonderful experiences with my wife and family. I got to go on tour with Still Surfin', the terrific Beach Boys tribute band I'm in. I contributed to some very cool recording projects led by friends both old and new. And I released my third--and best, I believe--solo record, "Evidence." Yeah, some bad shit happened in the world last year, but closer to…

Going live!

Hey, folks.

I'm psyched to announce a couple of shows coming up in the DC area--and I hope you'll put 'em on your calendar!

The first is on Saturday, September 16 at The Hamilton. For one night, I'll get to "be" one of the Heartbreakers, performing Tom Petty's classic "Damn the Torpedoes" album from start to finish. It's what they call a "dream discs" show, and I'll get to share the stage with some terrific area musicians and singers (including my pal and musical running-mate Cal Everett, with whom I…

I'm a Wedge!

Hey, folks!

First, I want to say thanks to everyone who has taken the time to check out my new record, "Evidence."

I have heard from so many friends (dare I say "fans"?) since the album was released, and the kind words really mean a lot. Knowing that you guys are listening makes the effort that went into the project well worth it.

Here is a really thoughtful review of "Evidence" that was published this week by the folks at Blurt Magazine. If you do not read Blurt, you should--it is a terrific music outlet (and…Read more

Welcome!

Hey, thanks for visiting my new website!

I guess I've been missing in action for a while, so I appreciate you stopping by.

The fact is, I've been working on this new record—writing, rehearsing, recording, refining.

Oh, yeah...and...uh...you know, working in a factory and raising a family and sitting in traffic and watching sports on TV.

Anyway, I'm really glad that "Evidence" is finally out there for folks to hear, and I hope it becomes part of the soundtrack for your own great 2017.

I intend to…