Justin Rutledge

[5] Rutledge has toured Canada, the UK, the United States, and Europe, and has played shows with Kathleen Edwards, Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo, Hawksley Workman, Luke Doucet, and Dolly Parton.

[7] Rutledge told Maclean's in an interview that his backup plan would be to finish his university studies in English "if this music thing doesn't work".

[9] The album earned Rutledge considerable praise, particularly in the UK, where he was compared to Ryan Adams by Comes with a Smile, who also proclaimed that "A major new talent has landed".

[10] Additional UK praise came from Uncut magazine, who referred to Rutledge as "a master of gothic understatement",[11] and NME describing the album as "an incredible breakthrough".

Rutledge was inspired by a line from Vanderhaeghe's book, "A man descending is propelled by inertia; the only initiative left him is whether or not he decides to enjoy the passing scene."

The album features guest performances by Ron Sexsmith, Jenn Grant, Catherine MacLellan, Hawksley Workman, Melissa McClelland, Joey Wright, and Jim Bryson.

[16] According to an interview, "Compared to 2006's The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park, Rutledge feels Man Descending is a much more patient, intimate and mature album, despite recording it in just three days".

[17] The songs "Alberta Breeze" and "San Sebastian" were written for In the Fall, the album that Rutledge scrapped in 2006, and were rerecorded for Man Descending.

Rutledge is also a member of the band Early Winters, a collaboration with Canadian musician/producer Dan Burns, American musician Zac Rae, and British singer-songwriter Carina Round.

In addition to his recording career, Rutledge has also acted on stage, including in productions of Ondaatje's Divisadero and Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice.