American-roots singer-songwriter and guitarist Sunny War is returning to Jacksonville to perform at Intuition Ale Works on Friday, November 8 (tickets here), marking the Nashville-based artist’s second visit to the First Coast in 2024 — the Jacksonville Music Experience invited Sunny War to the WJCT Soundstage back in January.
Over the better part of a decade, Sunny War’s songwriting prowess and distinctive guitar style — which marries blues, folk and punk — has earned her a fervent fanbase, especially among music critics and fellow musicians. Her 2018 album With the Sun, was one of the more buzzed about albums in Americana circles at the time of its release. She played NPR Music’s Tiny Desk in 2019. But it was Anarchist Gospel, her 2023 debut for New West Records (Drive-By Truckers, Pernice Brothers, Susto) that brought her wide acclaim. The album featured guest spots from fellow American-roots standout Allison Russell, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, and guitarist Dave Rawlings, among others. It was named one of best albums of the year by Rolling Stone, Spin and Mojo, and it led the New Yorker to dub Sunny War “an ascendent voice in roots music.” Iconic singer Willie Nelson recently recorded a cover of Sunny War’s 2018 track “If It Wasn’t Broken” for an album to be released in November.
Earlier this year, JME‘s Hurley Winkler interviewed Sunny War about her approach to writing music. You can read that interview here or listen to it via the player below.
Sunny War performs at Intuition Ale Works on Friday, November 8 with Forecast (led by the multi-instrumentalist John Mailander). Tickets on are on sale here.
Recommended If You Like: Allison Russell, Gillian Welch, Tré Burt, Fruit Bats, Buffalo Nichols
Focus Tracks: “No Reason,” “Lucid Lucy,” “Whole,” “‘Til I’m Dead“