James E. Akenson
Here’s a question to ponder. What does a small town East Tennessee Baptist, a Symphony Orchestra, an old concept beloved by folkies and hippies, metaphors, Whipporwills, flowers, and a slight sense of being an outsider, have in common? Well that’s an EZPZ rider to answer.
Here it is, boyz and gurls. Shades of the Folk Revival, NYC, the Weavers, and all sorts of other hip folks including Leadbelly, Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. The House Concert lives! Yes. The Bryan Symphony Orchestra housed at Tennessee Tech University www.tntech.edu held a house concert featuring Country Music artist EmiSunshine.
It may seem strange, but roots music and symphony’s have managed to collaborate more than we might suspect. It showed the Bryan Symphony Orchestra (BSO) wanted to extend its reach and to raise money. It also lends a touch of respectability, legitimacy to Country Music. Can’t argue with that.
What can we say that hasn’t already been said about Emi Sunshine in the AI generated overviews, in interviews, articles, or on her website and facebook page? Even the Bryan Symphony Orchestra publicity seems to say it all including:
Rolling Stone once named EmiSunshine among 10 new country artists you need to know, but her talent goes far beyond the bounds of country music. Hailing from East Tennessee, EmiSunshine blends Americana, Bluegrass, Blues, and Jazz into a captivating sound all her own—rooted in tradition yet refreshingly original. Not only that, but her latest all-original album, Miss Demeanor, showcases a fearless new chapter—one that dives deeper into storytelling, wit, and musical grit with a bold Southern flair.”
And…there was more.
Doesn’t seem to me that Gertrude Stein was wrong. There is no there there. There doesn’t seem to be anything new to say about EmiSunshine. Mercy! I have to fill this piece with something new. What can I do? Well, did other folks include a Tennessee map with EmiSunshine’s home town of Madisonville in East Tennessee? I don’t think so.
Did they include a pic of the county courthouse in Madisionville? I don’t think so. Did they mention the population of Madisonville as 5,132 as of the 2020 census. I don’t think so. Now that’s small town Down Home for sure. Those are new things, I think. That’s a start anyway. But I really need to come up with more. Those aren’t exactly profound insights.
Let’s see. Maybe, just maybe, if I combine comments about EmiSunshine’s House Concert with our interview I can have enough to justify your time gentle reader. Pardon the antiquated language, y’all.
I enjoyed the arrival sequence…now there’s a hotel industry corporate term….walking across the stately Wayne Manner bat-campus Robin and Alfred of Tennessee Tech to approach the Stonecypher Lecture Hall. The spacious circular and diagonal walkways suggested creative thought and a desire to engage, invite, and lead to an enjoyable experience.
The Eagle wings in the lobby, the stool and sound system, the wine bar, and merchandise (merch) table all made for a positive vibe. This would be a good House Concert. Thank goodness it wouldn’t be as crowded as 1950s New York City House Concerts in stuffy apartments.
Arriving early, I had time to meet EmiSunshine and interview her. I couldn’t ask similar questions found in other interviews. What could I do? How about a modified Speed Dating approach that dealt with ideas big and small without the usual answers. That meant I came with thirty nine…thank you Jack Benny…word pairs. Each word pair dealt with some aspect of Country Music culture to which EmiSunhine could relate.
I said each of the two words. EmiSunshine picked the one about which she felt strongest, most comfortable. Here are some word pairs. Jimmie Rodgers or The Carter Family. Tootsies or Redneck Riviera. Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie. Streaming or Vinyl. Change The Conversation or Song Suffragettes. FM Country Radio or Sirius/Xm. Charley Pride or Kane Brown. Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette. The Castellows or Mary Kutter. Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert. That might be something new, I hope.
EmiSunshine answered quickly. A couple of times she elaborated with a sentence or two. Here’s my interpretation from the 39 selections. EmiSunshine is a Country Music artist with a great sense of tradition and history. She stays connected to her Baptist roots. She loves institutions like The Ryman Auditorium, The Mother Church of Country Music, Tootsies Orchid Lounge, The Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
She knows her Jimmie Rodgers. She knows her Carter Family. She knows what’s hot for women to be on Country Radio. She veers away from the current cowboy hat, boots, Daisy Dukes, and top with bare midriff dominating Country Music stages. She believes in female empowerment. That might be something new, I hope.
EmiSunshine gave a great House Concert. It lasted an hour and a half. Combined with arriving early to set up, get merch displayed, do a sound check, interview with me, and then meet, greet, and sign merch afterward….that’s work in my book. She combined talking about her music throughout the performance.
A true singer-songwriter, for sure. I picked up some other bits and pieces. She likes whippoorwills. She likes metaphors, sunflowers and hibiscus, and some fairly lengthy guitar intros. There’s a touch of Dolly in EmiSunshine. She showed her knowledge of country music history mentioning the Ghost of Hank Williams followed by a yodel reminiscent of Jimmie Rodgers. Song titles like Last Supper suggests sly references to her Baptist roots. That might be something new, I hope.
Let’s pick out two songs from EmiSunshine’s House Concert. I liked Waiting on June written by Holly Williams. It certainly does fit a Down Home experience. It’s got history…World War 2 history. The male narrator leaves Mer Rouge, Louisiana…..population today 491 for a big Hee Haw Salute….in 1942 to fight the Axis. Back from the war, he marries June in the Methodist Church. They share four children, old age in a nursing home, and death. Waiting On June takes us through the life cycle. In his death he is Waiting On June to join him in heaven.
The end of Waiting On June reminds me of The Petersens singing Far Sides Banks of Jordan. June’s husband, regrets “leaving her behind,” but will be ‘waiting on the far side banks of Jordan.” No doubt he’ll “…come running through the shallow waters reaching for her hand.” Have the other discussions connected EmiSunshine’s Waiting For June quite like that. Waiting for June is definitely connected to her rural, small town Southern Evangelical Protestant Baptist culture from which EmiSunshine comes. That might be something new, I hope.
Lots of recent discussion has focused on the role of women in the Country Music industry and Country Radio in particular. Change the Conversation and Song Suffragettes have advocated for women. EmiSunhsine advocates for the empowerment of women. Her song Too Good For Radio suggests that she knows her style might not appeal to Country Music FM Radio.
No wonder EmiSunshine selected Sirius/XM over Country Music FM Radio in our word pair interview. She mentions successful artists such as Cody Jinks, Billy Strings, Sunny Sweeney , Hank Williams III, and Sturgill Simpson who don’t dominate Country FM Radio. Fitz’s Top 40….RIP Casey Kasem… or John Ritter’s “Rise Up Country” will be unlikely places where EmiSunshine might be heard.
The slots for women on Country Music FM Radio shouldn’t reflect the famous “Tomatogate” statement by Keith Hill. Sadly, the restraints on women make it harder under the best of circumstances. That might be something new, I hope.
All in all. The Bryan Symphony Orchestra EmiSunshine House Concert ranks as a winner in my book. EmiSunshine performed as a classic singer songwriter. She sat, picked her guitar, sang, and talked. EmiSunshine came across as….. dare I say it…..authentic….committed, passionate, intelligent, and connected to her audience and her art.
Her videos are filled, though, with movement in less intimate settings than a House Concert. EmiSunshine also came across as an artist who didn’t think she would be a Country Music FM Radio star. She feels a bit like an outsider. EmiSunshine feels strong ties to her Evangelical Baptist roots but has some doubts about the theology behind it. Then again, so do I.
At the end of my interview, I asked EmiSunshine how would she know when she was successful, when she had “made it.” Her thoughtful response stated that she wanted to have a community of fans that followed her, understood her and could support herself. She also wants to perform at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Seems reasonable to me.
Filling the University of Tennessee stadium or being at the top of the Country Music FM Radio charts doesn’t seem to be her goal. I think she’s brilliant, talented, with a sense of being an independent woman who can do it with her own unique style. Her latest album, Miss Demeanor, cleverly suggests she ain’t exactly ‘middle-of-the-Country-Music-FM-Radio-road.”
Clearly, though, EmiSunshine is a special Country Music talent. She is our sunshine, our EmiSunshine. She makes us happy when skies are gray. EmiSunshine lights up our lives.
