Emi Sunshine Archives - Bluegrass Today

EmiSunshine wins Young Entertainer Award

Emi Sunshine at the 2023 Young Entertainer Awards in Los Angeles – photo © RachelSolarioPhotography

When EmiSunshine showed up at the 2023 Young Entertainer Awards in Los Angeles earlier this month, she only expected to perform the two songs she had been booked to sing on the ceremony. And so she did, spending the rest of the awards show in the audience, watching as the YEA honored dozens of teen actors, producers, and writers from film, stage and television.

Amparo and Michael Wiener founded the organization eight years ago, specifically to focus attention on young performers before they tend to be recognized by the larger entertainment media. Often somewhat overlooked are child and teen actors, but the quality of their artistic efforts are as important as any other in making for effective and believable films and shows.

The Wieners shared their vision for the Young Entertainers Awards with this statement:

“We know first hand the value of peer recognition, family encouragement and support, and preparation in the lives of young entertainers. That’s what the Young Entertainer Awards is all about — all actors and actress, working and struggling, make a tremendous effort in their endeavor to land a role. It’s that very endeavor we wish to recognize, encourage, support, and celebrate so that they have nice memories of this time in their lives.”

So, while sitting in the audience at the show, the 19 year old EmiSunshine – whose latest album, Sideshow is an all-bluegrass project – was stunned as she realized that she was being named at the 2023 Independent Entertainer of the Year.

Emi says that she had no idea it was coming.

“It’s such an honor, and came as a total surprise. I was sitting in the audience as the show was starting to wind down when the producer started talking about the award. As she described the winner, she started saying things that sort of sounded like they applied to me. When it dawned on me what was happening, even before she mentioned my name, I almost cried.”

Longtime fans know that she has been working as a singer and songwriter since she was 11 years old, fronting her own stage show, and appearing on television and radio all over the US.

YEA president and show producer Alitzah Wiener described EmiSunshine as, “someone who does it all, someone who wears many hats as an artist, someone who has a legit fan base, someone who headlines their own tours, and someone at the age of 19 who has just released their tenth album.”

Congratulations to EmiSunshine for this award!

Sideshow – EmiSunshine and the Rain

East Tennessee’s EmiSunshine has come a very long way in a relatively short time. So too, the fact that she kicked off her career at an extraordinarily young age, is a testament to her talent. She began writing songs with her mother, Alisha Hamilton, at age five, and subsequently started performing professionally at the age of nine, gaining national exposure when she made her bow on NBC’s Today Show.

That was followed by numerous other network appearances as well as a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. It brought her to the attention of any number of producers, songwriters and record company reps, and in the years since, she’s enjoyed working relationships with the likes of Jim Lauderdale, Vicky McGehee, Kyle Jacobs, Leslie Satcher, Marla Cannon-Goodman, Matraca Berg, and Bootsy Collins, among the many. In addition, she’s headlined shows throughout the country, and also opened for such stars as Loretta Lynn, Rhonda Vincent, Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, and others.

So far, she’s released ten albums under her own aegis and made guest appearances on recordings by several other artists as well. Her music shares insights and observations that are telling yet true, given that they convey themes having to do with love, loss, self-esteem, diversity, addiction, independence, and domestic abuse, all serious subjects that clearly require an astute intellect.

Her new album, Sideshow, finds her diversifying her approach to a certain extent, taking optimism into account by projecting it through the lens of her own personal perspective. The songs range from the playful punch of the title track, and the assertive stride of songs such as Off the Rails and Pine Box, to the meditative musings of What’s Best For Me, and ultimately, the wistful reflection immersed in the beautiful balladry of the song Gold Digger.

Her ensemble, The Rain, is an able bluegrass band, but the songs are best defined by both meaning and messaging. What’s Best For Me reflects Emi’s own down-home demeanor. The title track shares a tale about life on the road. Scars and Wings talks about the need to overcome hurt and disappointment by finding a way to rise above it all. So too, Off the Rails speaks of summoning strength, especially when it’s not always evident that it’s there to be found.

At only 19 years old, EmiSunshine not only qualifies as a seasoned artist, but a highly accomplished one as well. With Sideshow, her skill and abilities are again, as always, on full display.

The Boy I Never Loved video from EmiSunshine

If you turn your mind back about ten years, you may recall the emergence of a powerhouse singer and entertainer, EmiSunshine, who exploded onto the acoustic music scene at nine years old. A precocious performer with an onstage personality twice her size, Emi became a popular act on the Americana scene, with her playing her ukulele and belting out classic songs with her band, The Rain, made up of members of her family.

She’s appeared more than a dozen times on the Grand Ole Opry, as well as American Idol, Little Big Shots, and the Today show on television.

All grown up now at 19, Miss Emi has recently released her first bluegrass album, full of songs she has written. A few had been recorded on her earlier albums, but now get the mature treatment on Sideshow.

Her music had always touched on bluegrass, but she says that she feels that now is the right time to dive in with both feet.

“It’s a way of giving back to the fans who have been here for the long haul. So many have been asking me to record a bluegrass album. It’s the kind of music I grew up on. I heard Ralph Stanley sing O Death at MerleFest when I was real young, and it stopped everyone in their tracks. Standing there in the crowd, I felt that reverence to my core. There were others who influenced me, like Marty Stuart, Patty Loveless, and so many more.”

The Rain provides support on Sideshow, including her father, Randall Hamilton, brother John Hamilton, Uncle Bobby Hill, and singer/songwriter Fish Fisher. Additional studio guests were Wyatt Ellis on mandolin, Justin Moses on fiddle, guitar, and reso-guitar, and Addie Levy on fiddle and mandolin.

A music video is available for her current single, The Boy I Never Loved, a bluesy grasser about a man who left a young woman with a baby. It carries a bit of the female empowerment vibe so common in today’s popular music.

Check it out…

The Boy I Never Loved, and the full Sideshow album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs and vinyl LPs can be purchased directly from the artist.

Fly Possum Fly video from Emi Sunshine and Grant Maloy Smith

When celebrated singer, songwriter, and storyteller Grant Maloy Smith published his children’s book earlier this year, he recognized that its story simply cried out for a song. So he wrote one, and since his target audience was young readers, he pitched the song to teen Americana artist Emi Sunshine to see if she would like to participate.

Well, when she heard Grant’s charming tale of a possum who saved Christmas, Emi was on board, and the song was recorded – bluegrass style, complete with banjo and fiddle.

And just in time for Christmas, they have produced a music video that shares the story of Smith’s book, Fly Possum Fly, when a Virginia family bails Santa out with a passel o’ possums to pull the sleigh when Rudolph comes down sick on Christmas Eve. The video features Grant and Eli singing the song, along with the illustrations from the book, which has already won a Gold medal in the Mom’s Choice awards.

Intended for children 3-9 years old, the book will tickle their imagination with the absurdity of the lowly possum saving the day.

You can find out more about Fly Possum Fly online.

Fly Possum Fly audio track released

Last month we shared news about a new children’s Christmas book, Fly Possum Fly, written by noted singer and storyteller, Grant Maloy Smith. It’s a charming story with a rural twist, where a team of possums step in to save Christmas when Santa’s reindeer take ill on Christmas Eve.

Pre-orders for the book are available now, ahead of it’s official release next week, and parents and grandparents are putting in orders to have this for their early readers when the holidays roll along.

But Smith says that he actually first envisioned this story as a song, and a bluegrass song at that. He was appearing as a guest on the Tim White Bluegrass Show in Bristol, TN/VA, and was taken by White’s personal possum fetish. Ever since he had a bluegrass hit with the called Five Pounds of Possum in the early ’90s with Troublesome Hollow, Tim has surrounded himself with possum paraphernalia, and it prompted Grant to go possum as well.

“Tim’s mascot is a possum, and he has pictures of possums in his studio. It was during the Holidays, so I was thinking about Christmas and the idea for this song just came to me.”

So the song came first, followed by the book, but Grant wanted to release both at the same time, thinking that having a song and a story together would really capture the imaginations of young book lovers. And he wanted a younger voice than his on the track, so he reached out to teen singing sensation Emi Sunshine who leapt at the chance to be involved.

“I love the way the song flows,” Emi said. “The concept may seem silly, but it’s so clever and funny. I sure would like to see Santa and those possums delivering my presents on Christmas morning!”

She and Grant recorded it as a duet, and youngsters will enjoy singing along with them as they imagine that possums can fly.

Fly Possum Fly, the audio track, is available now from iTunes and other download and streaming sites online. If your kids like singing along, this one will keep them occupied for some time.

Grant says that he’s delighted with how the song turned out, with Mis Emi having been the perfect choice.

“It’s for a slightly younger audience, and even though Emi is not a little kid, she is certainly closer to that age than I am. Her voice has the perfect Appalachian sound. She reminds me of a young Dolly Parton.”

The book is set to ship September 17, and should be appropriate for readers in grades 1 or 2, or for any age with someone reading it to them.

Fly Possum Fly – song and children’s book from Grant Maloy Smith and Emi Sunshine

The humble possum has long been a staple of the folklore of the southeastern United States. Their preponderance in both urban and rural environments makes for a symbol easily recognized, but while not as universally hated as the mouse or rat, they retain enough of a “gross factor” to keep them out of the home. Adults know that they will eat anything you plant in a garden, and whatever you may put in a trash can, but children often find them irrepressibly cute and imagine them to be cuddly and friendly.

A new project by Grant Maloy Smith works on this premise, a children’s Christmas book called Fly Possum Fly. The plot is spelled out in the subtitle, The Year My Dad’s Possums Really Saved Christmas. That’s right… Rudolph gets sick and Santa improvises with a team of possums to pull the sleigh. The book is set for a September 17 release, in plenty of time for Christmas giving. In addition to the drama inherent in the story, it includes a good many possum facts for readers to learn.

Smith is a singer, songwriter, storyteller, and overall enthusiast for country and roots music with a western flavor. This is his first effort at a children’s book, and he’s written a song with the same name as an accompaniment to the print edition. He recently cut both a bluegrass and a country version with the popular teen artist, Emi Sunshine, set to release the same day as a single.

Miss Emi says that the song is perfect for kids, as it’s fun to sing but also contains some educational value.

“The concept of the song may seem silly, but it’s so clever. It’s informative and funny at the same time. Who knew possums had 50 teeth!”

Pre-orders are available for the book now online, which is illustrated by the author in a humorous and highly colorful style. We’ll have a taste of the single when it hits next month.

Gary Brewer and Emi Sunshine together for Paradise remake

Anyone who has been paying attention to bluegrass this past few years will have noticed how much the classic country sound has been creeping into the genre. Young bands in particular have been embracing the style as a part of their bluegrass shows, and even non-grassers like The Malpass Brothers have become regulars on the bluegrass circuit.

It’s clear that a market exists for the style, as evidenced by its popularity on satellite radio, though mainstream country radio gives it short shrift. And bluegrass fans, on the whole, seem to be welcoming it into our scene.

The latest bluegrass artist to tackle traditional acoustic country is Gary Brewer, whose next album, Vintage Country Revival, features 13 new recordings of songs from country’s hey day by Gary and his Kentucky Ramblers. Wayne Brewer, Gary’s son who plays bass and fiddle with the band, tells us that they have been slipping one or two like this into the show for some time, with audience members regularly asking whether any of them were available on CD.

And so, here it comes. Gary says he wanted to give today’s fans a chance to enjoy a taste of the sound he grew up with.

“For many years, vintage country music has been a part of my live stage shows. So, the idea for this recording was drawn from our love for vintage country and the many requests from our fans (for this project). The concept for Vintage Country Revival was for the listener to hear what it was like to walk into a smoke-filled club or Honky Tonk in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s; to capture that sound and revive it on record. It’s raw and authentic without today’s modern recording methods. No smoke and mirrors here.”

A debut single is released today, featuring a duet between Gary and teen country revivalist, Emi Sunshine, on John Prine’s mega-hit, Paradise. Wayne says that they met her last year at the Dr Ralph Stanley Forever Tribute at the Grand Ole Opry House. The band enjoyed her company, sang a few songs together, and before long she was in the studio with them cutting this track.

Vintage Country Revival also includes familiar hits like Bye Bye Love, Good Hearted Woman, T For Texas, Oh Lonesome Me, and Ghost Rider In The Sky, along with several others given the Brewgrass treatment. Audio samples are available online, along with half price pre-orders for autographed, pre-release copies.

An album release event is scheduled for April 20 at the Shepherdsville Music Barn in Kentucky. The show is free, and the first 100 people through the door get a complimentary copy of Vintage Country Revival.

Emi Sunshine – new music with an old sound

At 13 years old, Emi Sunshine is already an accomplished singer, musician and songwriter. She’s a fresh face in Americana music, yet her sound is classic country.

Bluegrass Today caught up with Emi at The Festy Experience last month. In addition to performing her own show, she also served as host for the festival too. It was her first time hosting and she admitted to some stage fright in the new role, but she delivered like a pro with engaging intros of bands on the Blue Ridge Outdoors Main Stage.

Classic country Influences

Emi said her musical style is influenced by a lot of older country like Johnny Cash and June Carter. “I love Buddy Miller,” she said. She delivered an amazingly powerful version of Miller’s Fall on the Rock with just her ukulele during the Garrett Grass Gospel Hour.

“I listen to a lot of Dolly Parton,” Emi said. “Her confidence when she goes on stage is really powerful to me.”

Loretta Lynn is another major influence. “I love how humble she is and how kind she is,” Emi said. “I actually got to perform with her one night. She is just so sweet. I always want to stay humble like she did.”

“The Louvin Brothers absolutely inspire me because I love to write killing songs,” she said. “It’s something I always have fun with. There are twists and different stories that go with those kind of songs.” She wrote a murder ballad, Tennessee Killing Song, for Ragged Dreams, the latest recording from Emi Sunshine and the Rain.

“This album is so important to me,” Emi said. “I feel like it is showing some of my best work and telling who I am as a person, as a singer, and a songwriter.”

Emi wrote or co-wrote all the songs on Ragged Dreams. She played several songs from the album in her Festy set.

Musical family

Emi was raised in a musical family in Madisonville, Tennessee. She started performing at age four and began full time touring at nine.

“I’ve been doing this my whole life, it’s always been singing and playing,” Emi said. “It actually came way before me. My great grandmother, Wanda Matthews, sang on the Tennessee Barn Dance. She opened for the Rolling Stones once. She was an awesome person and the Tennessee Barn Dance was a big, big deal then.”

“My grandmother, Patsy Hamilton, was an amazing singer,” Emi said as she outlines her family tree. “She formed the Perfect Joy group with my dad and they toured all over the world. They were amazing. I was very influenced by them too. The Gospel they sang was haunting and happy at the same time.”

When I was about five, I started my own band,” she said. (We both laughed as she said this because it is just so ridiculously amazing to say she started her own band at five years old!) “I started the Perfect Joy Revival because I wanted to bring that back to the world.”

When she was seven, she and the family decided to change the name to Emi Sunshine and the Rain. The band is still a family effort. Her father, Randall Hamilton, plays upright bass, John Letner, her brother, plays on mandolin and “Uncle Bobby” Hill plays drums.

The Kids

Emi Sunshine and the Rain shows usually a draw crowd of youngsters along the front row. They love her music and seeing someone as young as they are perform with such confidence and poise. What they may not realize, is that she’s educating them on some of the best music from classic bluegrass, country and blues music.

“I love seeing all the kids out in the front row,” Emi said. “I hope they will be my fans for the rest of my life. I want to make them shine bright.”

Americana Corner

In addition to her own music and cover songs on YouTube, EmiSunshine has her own YouTube interview show, Americana Corner. “I have all these people that I love,” she said. “I interview them and sing a song with them.”

“I do this because I want to show children and my little fans that are five and six who haven’t heard of these artists. I want to introduce them to people who are amazing. They need to hear the good stuff.” The show features artists like Jim Lauderdale, Tanya Tucker and Holly Williams. She was working on an episode at The Festy so look for a big bluegrass name coming soon.

There’s much to love about Emi Sunshine — new music with an old sound. She’s definitely one to watch in the future.

Keep up with her via TheEmiSunshine.com.

Emi Sunshine on with Bob Mitchell this weekend

Old time singer and Americana artist Emi Sunshine will be the guest this on B.O.B, Best of Bluegrass with Bob Mitchell, one of our reporting DJs for the Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart.

The 13 year old Tennessean was Bob’s studio guest in late September at the studios of WFPK-FM in Louisville. There she talked with Mitchell about her career as a performer, and sang a few songs accompanying herself on her ukulele. Emi has made quite a hit on stages all over the country for her distinctive voice, winning smile, and charming personality.

The 2-hour show can be heard on 13 stations, on AM, FM, and online. Online listeners can hear the show on Saturday (11/4) from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on The Bluegrass Jamboree, and it will also be broadcast on WCHQ at 100.9 FM in Louisville, which also airs online.

Mitchell also archives his shows online.

He sent along a few photos from Emi’s time with him in the studio.