Linda Sussman

ABOUT

LINDA SUSSMAN is a New York-based award-winning singer-songwriter whose music crosses boundaries of alternative-folk and blues. Her versatile vocals are backed by her strong rhythm and fingerstyle guitar, with a touch of slide. With songs that span universal themes, from heartache and triumphs to calls for social justice, her music has ranked #1 on the Roots Music Report's weekly Alternative Folk Album Chart and is shared on radio programs internationally. The many stages Linda has played range from the iconic NYC venue The Bitter End to the more intimate Radio Bean in Burlington, VT.  Between 2018 and 2023, Linda released four full-length albums and a handful of singles, with her These Walls album ranked #5 on the Roots Music Report's Best in 2021 Album Chart (Alternative Folk genre). Linda typically performs as a solo artist, though on occasion she can be heard with any combination of her studio musicians, especially her right-hand, lead guitarist Mike Nugent. Linda lives on Long Island with her wife, Emily-Sue Sloane, an award-winning poet. [Listen to Linda Sussman's music on all streaming platforms.]

  THE EARLY DAYS [CLICK to read]

THE RELEASE BUZZ (2018–2023)

Writing in styles that cross genres, Linda Sussman's January 2023 single release, DON'T LET IT RAIN,  is a wistful ballad about longing, forgiveness and healing that blends folk-blues with a touch of jazz. The instrumentation is a trio of acoustic guitar, fretless bass and electric guitar. Linda notes, "So often, people remain estranged from loved ones because they don’t know how to move beyond hurt and anger. The lyric about the 'open stretch of sky' at the end of the chorus refers to the time and distance that have come between them. But, at least in this song, a reunion looms on the horizon." Linda dropped a second single in 2023 (June), LET COMMON SENSE PREVAIL,  which, as its title implies, is a plea for sensible gun laws. Linda returned to her solo roots on this recording, delivering guitar work that is simultaneously haunting and elegant and lyrics that are equal parts provocative and relatable.

SHAKE IT LOOSE TODAY, Linda's latest album (her fourth in five years), was released in July 2022 and is steeped in hope, passion and vulnerabilities. The nine new tracks range from rockin' blues to alt-folk to ballads. Shortly after its release, Shake It Loose Today ranked #1 on the weekly Roots Music Report's Top 50 Alternative Folk Album Chart (wk 9/24/22).

In October 2022, Linda released A POWER YOU'LL NEVER KNOW,  a bold single in support of women's rights and in response to the US Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v Wade. [Video]

Linda's 2021 THESE WALLS album, an eclectic mix of alt-folk and blues, also charted #1 on the Roots Music Report (RMR)'s weekly Top 50 Alternative-Folk Album Chart (wk 4/3/21) and is ranked #5 on the RMR's Top Alternative Folk Album Chart for the Year 2021 . [Video/track medley]

Marking her shift from contemporary folk to blues is Linda's PASS IT ON DOWN album (rel. 2019), delivering her blues tracks "Truckload of Blues," "Cryin" and "Chasin' That Train" along with straight-up folk as in the title track and others. The album ranks #19 on the RMR's Top Contemporary Folk Album Chart for the Year 2020. 

After a 10-year hiatus from all things music, Linda returned in 2018 with her contemporary folk album EVERY ROAD, a collection of 11 tracks, spanning the feel-good "A Little Bit of Heaven" to "Not In My Name," the first song she wrote for immigrant rights.

Check out all of Linda's albums on all streaming platforms and the CDs/Store page.