MJN Bio
Michael Juan Nunez is a singer, guitarist, songwriter, from South Louisiana whose music taps into the heart of American southern culture. It’s fresh, and urgent, yet unmistakably sprouting from very deep roots. His music paints pictures of life, as seen through the eyes of southern Louisiana. His guitar playing is raw and passionate…moaning, screaming, singing, and driving modern day melodies, with echoes of long lost dancehalls.
Michael has recorded and/or toured with a number of Louisiana music icons, including Zachary Richard, Doug Kershaw, Harry ‘Big Daddy’ Hypolite, Henry Gray, Sonny Landreth, Lil' Buck Senegal, Brother Dege, C.C. Adcock, Ani Difranco, Jamie N Commons, Dr. John, and many others.
He recorded tracks on the Grammy Nominated album “The La Louisianne Sessions” while guitarist for ‘Roddie Romero and The HubCity AllStars’. As well as being the co-writer of “My Jolie” on Roddie’s recent Grammy Nominated “Gulf Stream”.
In the late 90’s Michael was the guitarist/ vocalist for the Lafayette, LA based blues/rock band “RiverBabys”. In 2001 they represented the Acadiana Blues Society at the IBC in Memphis, TN where they were finalists. However, due to an ‘error in judgment’ (their set went to long…despite the fact that they knew they would be disqualified) they did not win. They did however make new fans, and friends, and it expanded their notoriety.
MJN is currently with ParishLine Records with whom he has released 5 records to date. While not a house hold name, Michael Juan Nunez has gained a loyal and rabid following among the blues, and roots rock community.
Michael’s own music has been featured in HBO’s hit series “True Blood”, as well as co-writing the theme song for the Amazon series ‘Cocked’.
He was also featured in a documentary about Angola State Penitentiary, loosely based on the concept of how the great Louisiana singer/songwriter/guitarist ‘Lead Belly’ reportedly “sang his way out of prison twice”, called “Songs of the Soul”.
In 2001 Michael Juan was voted ‘Best Emerging Blues Artist’ by OffBeat Magazine, and has played his music to people all around the country and Canada, at venues and festivals such as The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Fredericton, New Brunswick, New Orleans’ Jazz Festival, King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas, Festival International in Lafayette, LA, The Harvest Moon Blues Festival in Atlanta, GA…and many other events, venues, and BBQs along the way.
2016 saw the release of “RISE” which was co-produced with long time producer/collaborator A.J. Dauphin and engineered by multi Grammy award winning engineer Tony Daigle. The album is a 3deminsional journey from heavy groove rock, to sultry soul, to raw electric blues…there’s even a Caribbean flavored anthem. Each song takes a twist and turn from the previous one, and each song has it’s own colors that flow, and sometimes clobber the listener. It’s a fresh sounding mix of old and new schools. If you are a lover of blues, roots, rock, or just music…“RISE” has something for you, and the rest will sneak up on you like fog crawling across the bayou, and before you know it, it’ll be under your skin.
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with 2019 upon us, Michael is setting time aside to begin a new project. Writing for an album that is focused on the blues and roots music of South LA, and it's connection to the blues of Texas and North MS.
As Nunez himself puts it: "Think of Magic Sam channeling Clifton Chenier...or R.L. Burnside fronting a Zydeco band...or Lightening Hopkins playing with Canray Fontentot, and you begin to get the picture"
One thing is for sure...whatever come out the other side will be burning with passion and creativity, with a deep reverence for the music that came before.
No matter which format you find him in, go and check it out live, and see what the critics are raving about…this is the real deal.
