Sarah Brunner – “Miss Kentucky”

Sarah Brunner has a wonderful knack for grounding her music in real, lived experience, and her single “Miss Kentucky” shows exactly how powerful that approach can be. With 15 years of live performance shaping her acoustic Americana style, she brings an incredible level of honesty to a track that manages to be both deeply personal and intensely political.

The song was sparked by the actions of former county clerk Kim Davis, specifically referencing her 2015 imprisonment for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Sarah writes directly from a queer perspective, using a real voiceover from Justice Anthony Kennedy during the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case to anchor the message. It is a brilliant, heavy addition, especially knowing that portions of that same case were read at Sarah’s own wedding last year. I also have to mention the artwork, the visual of the protest signs and the rainbow colors behind bars perfectly capture the struggle for marriage equality.

The studio band keeps the arrangement tight and natural. Michael Knight handles the drums while Jason Howard holds down the upright bass, and Parker Casazza adds beautiful texture on keys, and the background vocals by Jordyn Day and Izzy Burns lift the whole piece. Tim Graham did a fantastic job producing this at Bear Creek Studio, letting the acoustic warmth breathe.

This is some of her finest work yet. You should definitely go back and check out her previous releases to hear how her sound has evolved. Be sure to follow Sarah Brunner to stay updated about new releases in the rest of this year.