Suzanne Santo is best known as one half of the Americana duo HoneyHoney, who have spent the last decade touring and recording while steadily building a loyal following. Now Santo is taking things in a different direction with her debut solo album Ruby Red, which is out August 11th on Soozanto Records. Making the move towards a solo effort came from Santo and her HoneyHoney partner in crime Ben Jaffe looking to take a bit of a hiatus to recharge after so many years of playing together. Ruby Red finds Santo channeling a soulful pop-noir sound that is moody, sexually-charged and filled with organic instruments, distorted fiddle, powerful electric guitar, and Santo’s most stunning vocal performances to date.
To make such a dramatic departure from her work in HoneyHoney Santo enlisted veteran songwriter and rocker Butch Walker to produce. Previously she had made multiple appearances on Butch Walker’s eighth album, Stay Gold, and joined him on the road, too, singing harmonies and playing violin, guitar, and banjo during a nationwide tour in 2016. In other words, Walker and Santo already knew they had a strong creative chemistry. She also explored a wide range of artists for inspiration, listening to albums by Erykah Badu, David Bowie, Townes Van Zandt, and the Alabama Shakes among others. The result is a tantalizing collection of songs that shows off Santo’s huge talents as a vocalist and songwriter.
Today Glide Magazine is excited to premiere the song “Best Out of Me”. Slow burning and soulful with a catchy-as-hell chorus, Santo lets her gorgeous vocals ooze with emotion and power. You can feel the longing in her voice as she preaches about being better in love, and the subtle orchestration gives the song a sweeping dramatic and redemptive sound.
“It’s all part of the journey, I guess. You win some you lose some and try to hang on to the better parts of yourself if you can,” reflects Santo.
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Suzanne Santo releases Ruby Red August 11th. For more music and info visit her on Facebook.
Photo: Marina Chavez
