Linda Sussman

ABOUT

LINDA SUSSMAN (Huntington, NY) is an award-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist whose music is a mix of alternative-folk and blues that digs deep into our shared human experience. With songs of courage, love, struggles and triumphs, Linda's vocals are frequently compared to Joan Baez, while her self-taught guitar style leans into open tunings, strong fingerstyle and a bit of acoustic slide. 

Linda's earliest musical inspiration came from listening to Bob Sherman's weekly Woody's Children radio show with her family, and she has followed in the tradition of crafting songs that meet the moment. As Ron Cooke (KTAL radio host) says, “Linda makes songs worth listening to. She makes the personal universal and the universal personal.”

The many stages Linda has played range from the iconic NYC venues The Bitter End (with the Linda Sussman Collective) and Kenny's Castaways to the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame and more intimate stages such as Radio Bean in Burlington, VT.  Although she typically performs solo, Linda occasionally can be found onstage with Mike Nugent, her studio lead guitarist and  leader of the Mike Nugent & the Blue Moon Band. 

Since 2018, Linda has released six full-length albums and numerous singles. Her 2026 album, DON'T DRINK THE POISON, charted #3 on the Roots Music Report's weekly Alt-Folk Music Chart within the first month of its release and landed on WERU's Top Albums of the Week (2/3/26) behind Bruce Springsteen and Lucinda Williams. The album delivers 11 tracks across multiple genres, from gritty blues to folk of many flavors and even one straight-up Americana heartbreak song (I FELL INTO THE MOON). The album also gives a home to three previously released singles: ALL THE SONGS OF PEACE, which conjures the spirit of all the folk greats that have come before. “This is a song that questions our hearts and actions in times of upheaval,” she says. Also included are RUN FROM THE LIGHTNING and REMEMBER DOROTHY, both solo acoustic blues featuring Linda's vocals and acoustic slide guitar.  DaDadaMusic_Seattle hails “Remember Dorothy” an “anthem of courage…a quiet anthem for today’s complex landscape,” while Naomi Joan at Illustrate Magazine writes: "Remember Dorothy is a reflection on identity, struggle, and ultimately, freedom. Its heavy acoustic blues framework combined with its lyrical poignancy makes it a standout piece, particularly for those who are still fighting to reclaim their identity. When you feel alone in the fight, just Remember Dorothy.”

Linda's 2024 album, WIN OR LOSE, is ranked #5 on the RMR's Best in 2024 Alternative Folk Album Chart; similarly, her  2021 THESE WALLS album ranks #4 on the same chart for Best in 2021. Linda's music has been shared on 100+ radio programs internationally. 

The awesome musicians who have recorded with Linda: 
• Mike Nugent, lead guitar—electric/acoustic, dobro, bass
• Kevin Kelly, bass
• Cosmo Mallardi, bass
• Gabrielle Schavran, cello
• Mark Mancini, piano
• Cindy Quart, piano
• Richie Guerrero, percussion
• Shawn Murray, drums

[Listen to Linda Sussman's music on all streaming platforms.]

In other creative ventures, Linda presents a music and poetry program, titled “Crossroads of Verse,” with award-winning poet Emily-Sue Sloane. Noting that creativity intersects at many corners, their program takes you on a journey from the lighthearted to the thought-provoking as they weave a conversation through original music and spoken word. “Crossroads of Verse” has been shared at bookstores, libraries, Walt Whitman Birthplace, Landmark on Main Street's Jeanne Rimsky Theater and elsewhere. The buzz around Crossroads of Verse is that it is as inspiring as it is entertaining!

For five years (Mar 2020 to Nov 2024), Linda co-produced/hosted “SongBreak” with fellow singer-songwriter Josie Bello. The SongBreak series featured local and out-of-town singer-songwriters in a format that included a song swap plus conversation about the art of songwriting and more. What began as a weekly 15-minute virtual swap between Linda and Josie during the height of the pandemic eventually broadened to include artists from across the US and Canada. In 2023, SongBreak made its final shift, this time to in-person shows, with two invited songwriters joining Linda and Josie playing to live audiences in the listening room at the Walt Whitman Birthplace (Huntington Station, NY). What never changed, however, was SongBreak's successful format that combined music and conversation. Linda and Josie's bittersweet decision to end the series was made to afford each more time to focus on other creative endeavors. 

  THE EARLY DAYS (plus photos!)

DISCOGRAPHY [listen/stream/links]

Albums:
Don't Drink the Poison (2026)
Win or Lose (2024)
Shake It Loose Today (2022)
These Walls (2021)
Pass It on Down (2019)
Every Road (2018)
Fly Away (2002) [solo album; out of circ.]
Breathe Easy (1996) [solo album; out of circ.]

Singles:
“All the Songs of Peace” (2025)
“Run From the Lightning” (2024)
“Remember Dorothy” (2024)
“My Heart Is Sinking” - Live (2023)
“Let Common Sense Prevail” (2023)
“Don't Let It Rain” (2023)
“A Power You'll Never Know” (2022)
“We Will Rise” (2021)
“Join Hands” (2021)
“Sounds” (2021)
“Rapid Fire” (2019)