Biography

Chad Okrusch is a Montana songwriter, poet, photographer, and teacher. A fifth-generation Montanan, his music and writing are rooted in the landscapes and stories of the West. He’s played at festivals like Red Ants Pants, the Montana Folk Festival, and Red Lodge and Whitefish Songwriter Festivals, and has shared the stage with artists ranging from Robert Earl Keen to Blake Shelton.

Chad loves collaborating with fellow Montana musicians, and his songs—captured on his album Wisdom Road—speak to the humor, heartbreak, and beauty of everyday life. He’s also co-authored Butte: Then and Now and co-edited Wisdom River: Meditations on Flyfishing and Life Midstream.

When he’s not making music or writing, Chad teaches philosophy and communication at Montana Tech, where he works with students on questions of ethics, meaning, and how we live together in community.