Hearing a country song at the Kitchen Garden is a common occurrence; hearing it from a bonafide country singer is somewhat rarer. Sunny Sweeney fits the bill of both. A mainstream Nashville label stint, raised in Texas, residing in Tennessee, she has all the country credentials, and laying them on the table in a packed room is in her DNA. You get the impression the 2024 version of Sunny Sweeney is quite enjoying this UK renaissance, visiting venues to rekindle her roots. The 45-minute interval between a pair of similar timed sets is almost as important for both an artist to greet and a fanbase to meet. Selling a haul of merch is another motive.
It was a year ago to the month when a tentative Sunny Sweeney shocked a sizeable English Midlands following by playing Kings Heath in a surprise tour. That night she was perched on a stool next to guitar partner Harley Husbands hemmed up against the mirror. Tonight a more conventional standing position enabled a greater relaxed freedom of expression and the space was filled with what makes Sunny Sweeney tick as an artist.
Twenty years as a pro has seen this Texan sharpen her game. Rapport and wit sit alongside song themes rich in country identity. Drinkin’, cheatin’, lovin’ (your dog) , but no trucks, all play their part. Songs with alluring lyrics are king. These may be co-written originals, borrowed from contemporaries or choice selections lifted from luminaries. They all get a brash yet humble rendition forming the basis of any show.
New music is the lifeblood of any progression-seeking artist. Sunny Sweeney combined the past with the present by re-recording her ten year old PROVOKED album with the addition of a couple of tracks. More relevantly, a brand new album is in the offing, no easy feat for an independent musician. The upshot was one new song sounding stunning. If folks adhered to the request not to post video coverage of ‘Houston Belongs to Me’, then the wait will have to be a little longer for wider exposure of this revitalised gem.
The writing partner on this song is Brennen Leigh, well known to UK audiences in general, and Birmingham ones in particular, for her duo work with Noel McKay. She is a long term associate and friend of Sunny and one of many fine artists name checked on the evening including Lori McKenna and Jim Lauderdale alongside ‘under the radar’ acts like Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Jerry Lee Lewis.
The latter trio were all covered on the evening with not the most obvious songs. Dylan’s ‘To Be Alone With You’ was one of the additions to the re-recorded album, while ‘Find it Where I Can’ from Jerry Lee Lewis’ back catalogue is set to be cut on the next record. ‘After the Glitter Fades’ by Stevie Nicks followed one of the many anecdotes shared on the evening, this one surrounding a Fleetwood Mac show on an icy Boston day. A fourth significant cover is a staple of any Sunny Sweeney show and just like last year, the Lucinda Williams recorded-Randy Weekes written classic ‘Can’t Let Go’ sent folks away happy and singing.
The highlight of any Sunny Sweeney show is when she dips into material from the iconic 2000s album HEARTBREAKER’S HALL OF FAME. Identical to last year, ‘Please Be San Antone’ and ‘Lavender Blue’ represented this superb record, although a quick scan of recent set lists revealed ‘If I Could’ featuring. One day when the stars align ‘Ten Years Pass’ will re-emerge.
There were countless highlights from the more recent songs selected. The personal best sounding ones were the camaraderie-inducing ‘Poet’s Prayer’, the impish ‘Backhanded Compliment’ and the powerful ‘A Song Can’t Fix Everything’. The audience smiled at ‘Momma’s Wine’ and ‘Grow Old With Me’ and lapped up oldies in ‘Staying Worse Than Leaving’ and ‘From a Table Away’.
Other songs making the Birmingham cut were another Brennen Leigh co-write ‘Pills’, a crazy world motive to ‘Front Row Seats’ and a favourite occupation in ‘I Drink Well with Others’. ‘Better Bad Idea’ and the second new song on the re-recorded effort ‘My Own Lane’ brings it up to a full complement.
Sunny Sweeney brings the sass; Harley Husbands brings the class. His ability to roll out an array of country guitar licks added a vital dimension to the songs. The duo partnership is ideal for making the current touring format viable. There is a remaining niggling feeling of what the sound would be like behind a full band. The Long Road appearance is fading into the distance, yet much more effort and resource is required to expand into a tour that reaches people like the current set up does.
One missing piece is the full transition from bar-type venue to a premium listening joint. There is scope to tone down the sound a touch and let the Kitchen’s bricked walls do the heavy lifting on the acoustics. Maybe a third opportunity will do this. If not, the live presence of an artist whose fans had to do distant listening for many years is a gift to treasure.
Sunny Sweeney is a smart operator, real deal country performer and engaging entertainer. This phase of a long touring career is being lapped up by UK fans. A sense of continuation is apparent and the present format fits the bill. Resourcefulness, integrity and connection remain the bedrock of her psyche. Fully evidenced by the second instalment of her Kitchen Garden experience.