Somewhere in Switzerland, in the middle of their 2016 European tour, two of Texas’ queens of songwriting, Sunny Sweeney and Jamie Lin Wilson, discovered they shared a deep mutual love for the music of Emmylou Harris—particularly her 2000 release, Red Dirt Girl. When you’ve worked as hard as Sweeney and Wilson, sometimes it makes sense to do something together just for fun. The pair recorded their own version of that album’s title track—and to the delight of all involved parties, were given the ultimate stamp of approval when Harris offered to sing harmonies. Today, Sweeney and Wilson released their long-imagined version of “Red Dirt Girl” to the delight of Americana and country fans worldwide.
Sunny Sweeney And Jamie Lin Wilson Add Their Texas Twang To A New Cover Of Emmylou Harris’s “Red Dirt Girl”
With one big, gritty electric guitar strum, “Red Dirt Girl” gives way to crystalline acoustic guitar strumming and the song’s iconic first verse. Drums usher in the second verse, carried by Sweeney’s perfect, or at least damn near, Texas twang, before the two meld together in the song’s refrain. Then, as Sweeney puts it, “The crowning blow was getting Emmylou to come in and sing harmonies. Buddy Miller was the conduit for that happening and I owe him everything.” Co-produced by Sweeney and her guitarist, Harley Husbands—and backed up by Brad Fordham on bass, Tom Lewis on drums, and Tommy J. Detamore on acoustic guitar, pedal steel, and Hammond organ—this new version of “Red Dirt Girl” came to fruition just as naturally as it sounds. “These ladies are such big Emmylou fans, all we had to do was just turn them loose, and the song fell right into place,” remembers Husbands. “I see myself in this song,” says Sweeney. “I grew up in east Texas where the dirt is red and I know these characters.” And it shows.
Fans can stream or purchase “Red Dirt Girl” today at this link. This single comes hot on the heels of Sweeney’s fall release, Married Alone, which garnered much praise from fans, critics, and fellow songwriters alike. Holler wrote about Sweeney’s performance on Married Alone, “She’s equally capable of mixing it up with music city’s mainstream as she is the outsiders and misfits from alt-country’s fringes,” and Billboard loved her “Country-as-grits voice.”
In addition to the release of “Red Dirt Girl,” Sweeney is also featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents exhibit which opened for viewing this week in Nashville, Tennessee. Sweeney’s hard-to-miss, sparkly guitar, hats from Standard Hat Works in Waco, Texas, and a handmade wooden sculpture made by Sweeney’s stepdad in honor of her song “Poet’s Prayer” were lent to the museum for this one year, limited-time display. Tomorrow, Saturday, March 11th, Sweeney will perform at the Hall of Fame as part of their Songwriter Sessions series. More information, including ticketing, can be found here. A full list of Sweeney’s tour dates can be found below or at sunnysweeney.com/tour.
Catch Sunny Sweeney On Tour:
March 11 – Nashville, TN – Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Songwriter Session)
March 15 – Little Rock, AR – Stickyz Rock-n-Roll Chicken Shack*
March 17 – Stonewall, TX – Albert Ice House
March 18 – Albany, TX – Aztec Theatre
March 19 – Fort Worth, TX – Fort Brewery & Pizza
March 21 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
April 14 – Houston, TX – McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
April 15 – 19 – Galveston, TX – Rock The Coast Music Cruise
April 20 – Galveston, TX – Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
April 21 – Austin, TX – Saxon Pub
April 22 – San Antonio, TX – Chaparral Music & Heritage Fest+
June 22 – Red Lodge, MT – Red Lodge Songwriter Festival
*with Erin Enderlin
- with Asleep at the Wheel
For tickets and information on all tour dates, please visit sunnysweeney.com/tour.
