The Mike Freund Band
Mike Freund is set to release his first-ever recorded cover, a fresh take on “Rest Stop” by Matchbox Twenty, on March 14, 2025.
Originally a B-side off Matchbox Twenty’s Mad Season album, Rest Stop has always been an underrated gem. For Mike, the album holds personal significance—it was the
soundtrack to a memorable summer he spent with his wife, whom he had met the year before.
“I didn’t pick this song for any deep reason,” says Freund. “I just connected with it, and it felt right. I wanted to stay true to the original but also bring a little of myself into it.
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Bio
// Origin : Charleston, SC.
// Genres : Blues Rock, Adult Alternative, Southern Rock
// Years Active : 1993 - Present.
// Similar Artists :
The Black Keyys, Anders Osborne, The Cold Stares
New Jersey born Mike Freund hasn't had much luck with music: his first paying gig was derailed by a night in the ER after a car crash. Later, his equipment was stolen after a burglary at the first recording studio he worked at. But he's gone on to win, in the bustling hub of Charleston, SC where he's ended up. His first full-length solo album, "TOE THE LINE" , was a hit with bloggers, as was his second album, "AND NOW YOU KNOW". In the summer of 2020 he released "IN BETWEEN Acoustic Vol 1", a full acoustic album proving he can write as well as rock. Now preparing for the February 1, 2022 release of his fourth studio album "TWENTY TWENTY",he'srackinguptheviews,thefans,andthelove.So maybe Mike Freund isn't unlucky after all. Maybe the hardworking blues rocker just needed to find his niche: and that he has, hammering out woozy, rollicking anthems that are sure to get you dancing.
Freund's passion for music began at an early age, thanks to his father who was the pianist in the Admirals Band for America’s Navy. It was at age 12 when Mike’s love for the guitar took root. His influences where vast, ranging from The Allman Brothers Band to Guns and Roses to Bruce Springsteen to The Meters. Performing around the Philadelphia area, this eclectic mix of influences served him well. It was in high school when Mike decided to take his songwriting seriously. Freund spent time after school with his English teacher, Scott Sacs. “Sacs showed me how to craft a song and I'm grateful to him for that,” states Mike Freund, ”because of him I know who Paul Simon is.”