New York, NY (Top40 Charts) On August 11th, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Suzanne Santo will release her solo debut album Ruby Red. Best known as one-half of the Americana duo HONEYHONEY, Santo steps out on her own for the first time and, more than 10 years into an acclaimed career, turns a new corner. Today, she released lead single "Ghost In My Bed," premiered by Rolling Stone who stated "'Ghost in my Bed' barrels forward at highway speed, folding mandolin, fiddle and keyboards into a nocturnal track about waging war with - and, ultimately, losing ground to - one's darker side."
Listen to "Ghost In My Bed" here:
https://smarturl.it/GhostInMyBed
"The common thread of the songs on this record have to do with accountability," Santo told Rolling Stone. "'Ghost In My Bed' is an example of that and how sometimes we are, in fact, the ghost that haunts us. Writing this record reinstalled my responsibility to keep pushing forward, learning, growing and challenging the art in the way that serves it best."
Produced by multi-platinum Grammy nominee
Butch Walker, Ruby Red is caught halfway between the dark swoon of pop-noir, the raw rasp of soul music, and the honest punch of Americana. It's an album about love, life, and lust in the modern world. A moody, fierce, melody-driven 11-song offering, Ruby Red ranges from Southern-gothic anthems to slow-burning soul ballads to explosive rockers, all anchored around Santo's voice: an electrifying, elastic instrument that's capable of both vulnerability and ferocity.
"I think I started writing songs for this record long before I realized that I was writing songs for this record," continued Santo. "I've identified with a collaboration for so long that the thought of taking a leap into the depths of my own music, and having no idea what that would look like, definitely came as a shock. It was incredible to work with Butch. He facilitates a great time and an artistic environment that orbits solely around what's best for the song, which is so rare in a business full of egos. It liberated and enabled me to work in a way that I never knew I was capable of."
Before they collaborated on Ruby Red, Santo made multiple appearances on
Butch Walker's latest album Stay Gold. She joined him on the road, too, singing harmonies and playing violin, guitar, and banjo during a nationwide tour in 2016. During breaks in her touring schedule, she began diving into a different type of songwriting, looking to diverse albums by Erykah Badu,
David Bowie, Townes Van Zandt, and the
Alabama Shakes for inspiration. For years, she'd always been somebody else's bandmate. This was a time to explore her own identity. To write her own music. To ignore genres and defy expectations. To determine what, exactly, she wanted to say, and find out the best way to deliver it.
"This record is so fucking sexy, I can't deal," stated
Butch Walker. "Proud to have been in the room when these songs were going down. Put it on and turn out the lights."
Track List:
01) Handshake
02)
Ghost In My Bed
03) The Wrong Man
04) Best Out Of Me
05) Regrets
06) Yours Or Mine
07) Love Fucked Up
08) Blood On Your Knees
09) Bullets
10) Better Than That
11) Regrets (Acoustic)
Tour Dates:
08/10 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
08/23 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
09/21 - Tahlequah, OK @ Medicine Stone Festival
