Today we’d like to introduce you to Hudson Mueller
Hi Hudson, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hudson Mueller has always been something of an outlaw philosopher. Like his spirit guide Willie Nelson, he follows his musical instincts wherever they lead – even when those paths aren’t particularly convenient or commercially strategic. On his stunning debut solo album Welcome to Earth, Mueller delivers a collection of songs that showcase his gifts as a storyteller while expanding the sonic possibilities of the Americana genre.
“I’ve spent the last 30+ years writing songs and playing in bands,” Mueller reflects. “I don’t have any big hits from a commercial standpoint. Not much money or fame to speak of. Willie hasn’t recorded any of my songs yet. But I’ve had some bonafide adventure, and I’ve forged some incredible friendships through music. It’s the closest thing I’ve found to real magic.”
The Austin-born, Houston-based songwriter first cut his teeth with folk favorites The Hudsons (AMA Best Folk Band 2007, 2009) before relocating to New York City in 2009 and forming The Gold Magnolias, quickly becoming one of the city’s most exciting southern soul bands. But Welcome to Earth represents a return to Mueller’s storytelling roots, albeit with a sonic palette expanded by his years in the city’s diverse music scene.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The music industry is an extraordinarily difficult place to exist. I don’t think anyone would describe the artists’ path as a smooth road. But beyond the baseline struggles of trying to create and subsist there was also the added challenge making this record during a global pandemic. I’ve been part of many live-in-the-studio records over the course of my career in music. When you’re playing with top-notch musicians this is a great way to work. You can get things down quickly and often find ideas playing together that wouldn’t necessarily happen if each individual player is overdubbing their part alone.
That’s not how we made this record. Because of the COVID, we couldn’t just all pile into the studio and play the songs together. We were tracking one instrument at a time, usually starting with a guitar/vocal performance. Daniel Foose (upright bass) and Roy Williams (pedal steel, organ, piano) recorded their parts remotely in Texas and Pennsylvania. As we began to assemble the tracks, we were forced to be intentional about each piece and how it would eventually fall into place with the others. Sometimes we had to back track and re-record certain pieces so that they made sense within the new arrangement. It was a long road, but eventually led to a very interesting place that I don’t think we would’ve reached had we adopted a more traditional approach.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a singer/songwriter from Austin, TX. I moved to Houston earlier this year and have really been enjoying the city’s diverse arts scene and music community. I’ll be releasing my first solo studio album on March 28th, 2025. Here’s a bit more about the record:
As Mueller prepares to release Welcome to Earth, he remains focused on the magic that drew him to music in the first place. “This album is my little book of spells,” he says. “It’s the moments and memories that are important to me. It’s a collection of feelings that I’ve crystallized and cared for.”
The magic is evident throughout Welcome to Earth, especially in the lead single “Money vs. Fame,” which takes aim at the corrupting influence of success in the music industry. With its cutting lyrics (“Fame is just a prison with bars of solid gold / Money can be useful but it’s poison to the soul”) and innovative blend of folk storytelling with modern production techniques, the track serves as both a mission statement and a warning shot across the bow of an industry increasingly focused on metrics over meaning.
The album came together during the pandemic when producer Mike Bloom (who Mueller knew from their days working together at Soundhouse) called with an unusual proposal. “He said that he had just woken up from a dream in which we were working on a record together,” Mueller recalls. “That’s funny,” I replied, “I just finished recording demos for a new record. I’ll send them your way.”
The resulting collaboration pushes genre boundaries while maintaining the intimacy of Mueller’s earlier folk work. On “Love is Love,” Mueller combines hi-strung and baritone guitars to create a Byrds-like jangle that supports his message of radical inclusivity: “Find the place where your love ends / And then extend love just a little bit more.” The production builds to a gloriously weird outro that showcases the record’s experimental edge.
The title track takes its inspiration from Kurt Vonnegut’s imagined handbook for newborns. “Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth,” Vonnegut wrote. “It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded… There’s only one rule that I know of, babies – ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.'” Mueller’s song version maintains Vonnegut’s mix of clear-eyed realism and fundamental optimism while adding his own observations about systemic inequality: “You have two parents who love and take care of you / You are a fortunate child / Some of the rest may be born into poverty / Their life will sure be a trial.”
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The album has my name on the front, but it is the product of many years of work by many people. There’s Quinn McCarthy, my college bandmate who transformed a nondescript industrial space in Greenpoint into the Creamery — a top-notch (if not always particularly climate controlled) recording studio. In NYC, space is the name of the game and The Creamery has provided a space for me to practice my art form, to learn about the recording process, a place to hang out and go deep on music, life, etc. I can’t thank Quinn enough for providing a safe space for creativity and a discerning ear when I’ve needed it.
Then of course there’s my producer Mike Bloom. Mike was a fairly accomplished DJ and producer of electronic music. He was also a former co-worker at Soundhouse where we had spent many days driving around NYC in a cargo van listening to Townes Van Zandt records. I knew he had a deep love for acoustic music and it occurred to me he might be able to bring a fresh perspective to the collection of songs I’d been working on.
The album also features contributions from an all-star cast of musicians, including upright bassist Daniel Foose, Mueller’s childhood neighbor and lifelong friend. One of the album’s most powerful moments comes on “Maintain,” which features a gospel choir led by Mueller’s high school friend Vincent Powell (American Idol, Season 12). The choir session at The Creamery studio in Brooklyn became one of the most memorable moments of Mueller’s career. “Voices moving in harmony is just about my favorite thing in music,” he says. “They brought such electricity to the song.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hudsonmueller.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hudsonmuellermusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hudsonmuellermusic/
- Twitter: https://x.com/MuellerHudson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX94bblXAyzMQ0zWPRlarkA
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/hudsonmueller
Image Credits
All photos by Evan Felts except “gold.magnolias-56.jpg” by Belle Augusta.
