VIDEO PREMIERE: Sully Bright of Folk Duo Spruce & Hollow Steps Out Solo with Expressive Tune “Oh, Honey”

Imagine yourself nearing the end of a trail in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina – variations of green fill your vision, a soft breeze cools the sweat on your brow, rustling leaves and running water join the song of the birds in your ears. This is where the music of Sully Bright takes you.

Bright was born in the small town of Forest City near the mountains of North Carolina. Bonding over rock legends with his father (the Eagles are a favorite), music has been close to Sully Bright’s heart throughout his life. He began writing songs in high school, a pastime turned passion that shaped his life trajectory. Though he treasures his home, Sully Bright moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University in 2020. He is in his final year now at Belmont, where he studies songwriting and works as an intern with producer Lucas Morton. During his second year at Belmont, Bright became friends with John Pierson Smith, with whom he established the folk duo Spruce & Hollow. Spruce & Hollow released their first album earlier this year, and they actively play shows in Nashville and beyond. In the gaps between schoolwork, his partnership with Smith, and the rhythms of everyday life, Bright has been writing, recording and producing throughout his time at Belmont. This has led to the upcoming release of his debut album, Darling, Wake Up.

Bright brings all of himself to his debut record; it is an album that reflects this Nashville songwriter’s deep love for his home in North Carolina, as well as his connection to the natural world. Bright shares, “Many of the songs are written about memories and my home in the mountains of North Carolina. The blue ridge lines have become a driving inspiration for my songwriting and how I see the world.” The imagery of leaves and trees, fish and birds, ridge lines and rivers populate the lyrics of Bright’s first record. These images do not operate just as metaphor or simple observation, but rather they are Bright’s vocabulary for expressing the longings of his own heart, both for his home in North Carolina and for the sense of safety and fulfillment that it represents to him.

These songs reflect a characteristic of the album as a whole – hopeful honesty. Across the record, Sully Bright’s voice rings with an earnest vulnerability that brings life to music that surrounds it. The album will be released this October.

Today Glide is premiering the music video for the standout track “Oh, Honey” ahead of its official release date on August 25th (PRE-ORDER). The song is the kind of warm and honest work of indie folk that makes you think about your own life. With Bright’s simple strumming, his subtle yet impressible vocals are on display in a way that pulls at your heartstrings. What makes this song especially interesting is that it seems to work in three parts, with different tempo changes and moods to made each portion a sort of musical vignette. Ultimately, it is a nice encapsulation of the kind of fresh musical talent that makes your ears perk up with excitement.

Watch the video and read our chat with Sully Bright below…

What is the story behind this song? How did you come to write it? What is it about?

The song is about being away from things when they change. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer over a year ago, and this song came out of that. The song is a conversational song between my mother and me. In the first verse, she is headed down to New Orleans to get surgery for her cancer. The second verse is from my perspective of being away from it all and wanting to return to North Carolina.

Are you typically a lyrics-first or a music-first writer? How did this song come together?

I am typically lyrics first, but usually it’s a mixture of both. Sometimes, I write lyrics first with a melody in mind and then vice versa. For “Oh, Honey,” I wrote the melody and lyrics for the chorus first, then I moved forward to tackle the verses.

Are there any lyric lines that you are particularly proud of or that really speak to you? What do you feel makes them resonate?

There are a few that come to mind. The first lyric that speaks to me particularly is the line: “The sun peeks through the mountaintops, I’m chasing the morning light back to you.” To me, this lyric captures the feelings of the song; the feeling I get when I head back to North Carolina while there is still dew on the grass in the morning. This lyric also expresses the deep longings I have for when I am away from it. Another lyric that I am proud of is: ”Oh, honey, it won’t be long till I’m holding on to you.”

If listeners can take away one thing from having heard this song, what do you hope that is?

I hope that they can take away that there is hope in the changing things.

How does this song fit in among the others on the album? How is it similar or different?

Lyrically, “Oh, Honey” ties in directly to my song “Appalachia.” The song ends with the lyrics, “I’m headed back to North Carolina tonight,” while “Appalachia” opens on the freeway, driving toward the mountains. Sonically, “Oh, Honey” is one of the most rooted songs in folk style, featuring instruments like clawhammer banjo and accordion.

If you could use only three words to describe your music, what would they be?

Warm, organic, and tender-hearted.