Music Spotlight: Sunny Sweeney

Aug 01, 2025 at 07:50 am by Bethany Bowman


Because singer/songwriter Erin Enderlin spoke so highly about Sunny Sweeney, I knew I wanted to interview her to see what all the fuss was about.

After speaking with Sweeny and hearing her latest record, Rhinestone Requiem, an album that is equally vulnerable and defiant, I get the hype. She is all that, and we're here for it.

Sunny Sweeney was born and raised in East Texas. Her stepdad played guitar, and her grandfather played horns in a big band, but neither of them did country music as a full-time career.

When Sweeney first started coming to Nashville in 2005, she attended the writers' rounds, met new people, and did what she could to "wriggle her way into the music industry."

"It's a community there where everybody's so helpful. I have always felt fortunate to have the support system I have there," Sweeny shared.

In 2006, Sweeny put out her debut album, Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame. Since that time, the prolific songwriter has been releasing albums every few years that chronicle the ups and downs of her life and career.

After being in the singing/songwriting profession for nearly two decades, the Texan has fully embraced her artistic freedom with eight new songs that are full of raw honesty and wry wit. Additionally, she included two covers that fit perfectly with her soul-baring exploration of resilience, heartbreak, and honky-tonk healing.

It's hard to pick a favorite because the whole album is just so darn good, but "Diamonds and Divorce Decrees" is pure country gold and, like most fabulous country tunes, is based on a true story.

It turns out that a few years ago, Sweeney took all her stuff to her mom's house (because rent got too high, she quipped) and went on the road full-time. Eventually, she did buy a house and got all the stuff from her mother's house except for a 2' X 2' safe. She told her mom, "There's nothing in there except Grandma's diamonds and my divorce decrees," and then her songwriting brain kicked in.

Sweeney wrote eight original songs with her go-to songwriting pals, who "already know my story," so even with all the hard work it takes to create an entire record, the album feels like your favorite pair of broken-in boots.

Rhinestone Requiem starts with a Jerry Lee Lewis cover, "Find It Where I Can," which is the perfect introduction to the post-heartbreak album.

The sassy "Diamonds and Divorce Degrees" gives the middle finger to the ex. "I'm stuck between 'I Do' and 'I'll never do that again,'" the song confidently states.

"Traveling On" is a story song with a kernel of truth. It could easily be part of the soundtrack of an old western. Sweeney explained, "Everybody has this one person that they are just weak around, and they're like, 'Why did I let this person back into my life again? Now I've got to get rid of him again.'"

Possibly my favorite song on the record is "As Long as There's a Honky Tonk." The song traces her roots in Texas, where she was raised on Western Swing, to the Grand Ole Opry and the songs they let her sing. She realizes that it doesn't matter where you are, because as long as there is a honky tonk, you'll always have a home.

The fiddle saws as Sweeney shows her vulnerable side in "Houston Belongs to Me." The tune chronicles a mostly amicable breakup so long as he remembers that Houston is her town.

The second cover on the record is Kasey Chambers' "Last Hard Bible." I wanted to know why someone who has such an extensive repertoire of songs would include cover songs.

She explained, "Sometimes I feel like there's just like a vibe that's missing or like a certain beat or a tempo that I didn't have. Or it could just be because I love a freaking song. Like I love 'Last Hard Bible.' I used to sing that like 15 years ago with my band."

There is a prominent pedal steel weaving throughout the Texas-influenced song, "Waiting for A Reason to Stay." It's like Miranda Lambert meets Kitty Wells as she tells her side of the story.

While nearly everything Sweeney writes is a hat-tip to traditional country, "Is Tonight the Night (I Make You a Memory)" is the most old-school song on the record. It could have easily been sung at the Opry in the 1980s by Tanya Tucker or Patty Loveless.

Sweeney shares the wit that she is known for in the tune, "I Drink Well With Others." As in "I'm here to carry on, until they carry me out of here." No matter what's going on, you won't be worried about it once this song is done.

I wish I were clever enough to come up with the title "Half Lit in ¾ Time." Of course, the tune is a waltz. The song states, "So crank up the sad songs, put me out of my mind, I'm getting half-lit in ¾ time."

And while heartbreak songs are the cornerstone of country music, Sweeney's Rhinestone Requiem is more than that; it's about resilience and joy that comes from ending a relationship that was well past its expiration date.

Erin Enderlin and Sunny Sweeney wrote a song with Trisha Yearwood, "Goodnight Cruel World," that was on her new album, The Mirror. This spring, they went on tour with Trisha to promote the album.

Sweeney exclaimed, "I cannot even really wrap my head around the fact that Trisha Yearwood recorded a song that we wrote. She's my friend, so it's weird to say that because we've been friends for so long, but she's also Trisha freaking Yearwood. She is a North Star to me."

After performing at the Grand Ole Opry on August 1st, Sunny Sweeney will be touring throughout the United States as she promotes her new album and plays fan-favorites.

You can follow Sunny Sweeney on her website, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, and all streaming platforms.

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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blogInstagramFacebook, and X.

Rhinestone Requiem Track Listing:
1. “Find It Where I Can”
2. “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees”
3. “Traveling On”
4. “As Long as There’s a Honky Tonk”
5. “Houston Belongs To Me”
6. “Last Hard Bible”
7. “Waiting for a Reason to Stay”
8. “Is Tonight the Night (I Make You a Memory)”
9. “I Drink Well with Others”
10. “Half Lit in ¾ Time”

Tags: country music Elicity PR Outlaw Country Singer/Songwriter Sunny Sweeney Women of Country Music
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