Sunny Sweeney has one of those unmistakable East Texas accents when she speaks, and when she opens her mouth to sing, that accent just gets thicker. That's one of the reasons listeners never have to guess where this singer is coming from. Sweeney delivers every song on her debut album, Heartbreakers Hall of Fame, with a sweet southern drawl.
Growing up in the small town of Longview, Sweeney's first taste of Country came in the pop-leaning 1980s. It was only later, when she stumbled upon more traditional singers including Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn that she knew the kind of Country she was born to sing.
Initially she pursued a different kind of creative career, in theater and comedy. After spending a few years in New York City, Sweeney returned to her home state, joining an improvisational comedy troupe in Austin. Basking in that city's thriving live music scene and heeding the advice of her fellow comedians, she soon found her true calling in the local clubs and began making her way toward her debut album.
Initially released on her own independent label, Heartbreakers Hall of Fame found a passionate believer in Music Row executive Scott Borchetta, who licensed the album for a March 6 release on his Big Machine Records label. The album, co-produced by Sweeney and Tommy Detamore (guitar, pedal and lap steel, Dobro) and Tom Lewis (drums) and featuring three songs written or co-written by Sweeney, promises to deliver a slice of pure honky tonk music to the Country landscape.
IN HER OWN W ORDS:
Who is your musical hero?
"I have two: Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn."
Which song would you like to cover?
"[Merle Haggard's] 'Misery and Gin.'"
What actor would portray you in a biopic about your life?
"I don't really care, just as long as she is kind of hot!"
What song do you wish you had written?
"'Angel from Montgomery.'"
Who is your dream duet partner?
"Merle or Dwight Yoakam, assuming that if I got that chance, I wouldn't pass out on the stage."
When they look back on your life in 50 years, what do you hope people say about you?
"I hope they say, 'Dang, that girl sure had fun and she always sang that real Country Music.'"
On the Web: www.sunnysweeney.com
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