Americana singer-songwriter (and founding member of folk duo HoneyHoney) Suzanne Santo's forthcoming album Yard Sale (out August 27) was inspired by her midwestern upbringing and her journey to putting down roots in Austin, Texas. The album, which features Gary Clark, Jr. and Shakey Graves, was written while Santo was on tour with Hozier and represents her own personal "yard sale" -- a physical and metaphorical purging of baggage.
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"I moved so much, both emotionally and physically, while making this record," Santo says in a press release. "I dropped my band, joined a world tour, came back home, went through a heartbreak, moved across the country, and fell in love with someone else. I just kept marching forward. Throughout that experience, there was this emotional unpacking of sorts. A shedding of baggage. I've gotten good at knowing what I need to keep holding onto and what I don't."
Santo says one of the earliest memories she holds onto is that of her grandmother singing Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces" -- a moment that altered her perception of the power of songs.
"When I was a kid, my cousins got a karaoke machine for Christmas and we were all in the basement taking turns singing songs. My Grandma Florence got up and sang 'I Fall to Pieces' by Patsy Cline," Santo tells Wide Open Country. "I'd never heard her sing before and honestly can't recall her singing any other time after that...this memory has more weight to it than I understand, but I was altered by that moment and always think of Florence when I hear any song by Patsy Cline. I got into Johnny Cash and Hank Williams after that. There's something about the heartbreaking country songs that always gets to me."
Yard Sale is the follow-up to Santo's 2017 Butch Walker-produced debut solo album Ruby Red.
"I am excited and so grateful to finally be able to share this music with you," Santo says. "I've always had a special place in my heart for a good yard sale. I hope this one finds its way into yours and brings you joy and comfort during these strange and altering times."
Yard Sale is available to pre-save here.
