Award-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist Linda Sussman (Long Island, NY) has just released “Don’t Let It Rain,” a wistful ballad about longing, forgiveness and healing that elegantly blends folk-blues with a hint of jazz. “Don’t Let It Rain” is played by the trio of Linda Sussman (acoustic fingerstyle guitar and vocals), Mike Nugent (electric guitar) and Kevin Kelly (fretless bass).
“I wrote ‘Don’t Let It Rain’ about a parent’s yearning for a son or daughter to return home after many years apart,” Sussman says. “So often, people remain estranged from loved ones because they don’t know how to move beyond hurt and anger. The ‘open stretch of sky’ lyric at the end of the chorus reflects the time and distance that have come between them. But, at least in this song, a reunion looms on the horizon.”
“Don’t let it rain / not when you’re comin’ home
Let nothing / get in the way
It’s been too long a time
‘neath that open / that open stretch of sky.”
Sussman augments her smooth, bluesy vocals with her signature acoustic fingerstyle guitar, setting the mood and carrying the melody, while Kelly’s fretless bass extends beyond holding the bottom as it dances with Sussman’s guitar in stunning runs and harmonic slides and Nugent’s electric guitar injects chordal swells with grace and shine.
About her songwriting, which often crosses genres, Sussman notes: “I am grateful to be writing new songs that continues to stretch me, both lyrically and musically.”
Since the start of the pandemic, Sussman has been recording from home and producing with her backing musicians in something akin to the old “sneaker network,” with each artist composing independently before sharing and layering on. Working steadily on new projects since 2018 and releasing four full-length albums and an array of singles in a five-year period, Sussman’s most-recent albums — These Walls (2021) and Shake It Loose Today (2022) — each climbed to #1 on the Roots Music Report’s weekly Alternative Folk Album Chart soon after its release. “Don’t Let It Rain” follows Sussman’s bold blues single for women’s rights titled “A Power You’ll Never Know” (2022).
Sussman has worked with Nugent and Kelly since 2017 and is incredibly grateful for their continued support of her music and stellar contributions to her recordings. Among his numerous credits, guitarist Mike Nugent in 2022 released a new album of originals, Everything Is Gonna Be OK, featuring Mike Nugent and The Blue Moon Band. For his part, bassist and mixing engineer Kevin Kelly’s performing credits include past international tours with bands opening for the Bee Gees and others, while his engineering expertise includes recording and mixing for Blondie, Edgar Winter, Rorie Kelly, among many others.
“Don’t Let It Rain” was written and produced by Sussman; mixed by Kevin Kelly, The Workshoppe East, Huntington, NY; and mastered by Mike Kalajian, Rogue Planet Mastering, New Paltz, NY.
Sussman’s music can be found on all streaming, including BandCamp.
