Sunny Sweeney makes it look easy. Just as comfortable commanding a stadium stage on tour with Bob Seger as she is pouring her heart out from a listening-room stool, she is an outlier: A humble East Texas kid with super-star chops, singing her own songs made up of equal parts wit, soul, and hard truth.

Four albums into a career that has earned praise from Rolling Stone, NPR, American Songwriter, and more, Sunny has drawn a loyal following, experienced the major label deal, and ultimately, embraced her independence––and smart country music that likes to have its rock and honky tonk too is that much better for it.

Kelly Willis “I know I’ve been around through many different phases of my genre of music. Whether it was the New Traditionalist, or Alt. Country or Americana. I ought to be able to write a book about it all. But in spite of my long career, I still think of myself as a teenager! I still feel like the underdog who’s trying to find her way”

That Willis still feels like that scrappy young comer, six albums and four kids later, is good news for anyone about to take a shine to the only slightly broken-hearted-feeling spunk of the new album.