The principal songwriter behind a touring Americana act set to grace one of Santa Ynez’s most popular stages has a lot of solo credits to her name, but she always appreciates the euphoric feeling of striking gold with collaborators she feels in tune with.
Prolific composer and lyricist Suzanna Spring is the lead vocalist, acoustic guitarist, and primary writer for Mustangs Of The West—founded by LA-based musician Sherry Rayn Barnett, who plays lead guitar and occasionally co-writes songs with Spring and other band members.
The quintet also includes bassist Holly Montgomery, fiddler and mandolin player Aubrey Richmond, and drummer Suzanne Morissette Cruz, who each also provide vocals to fuel the band’s harmony-driven repertoire.
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the group is heading to the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez as a stop on its latest California tour. The upcoming show is part of the saloon’s long-running Tales from the Tavern series, which celebrates songwriters in a way that reminds Spring of the music scene in Nashville, Tennessee—where she lived and worked for a bit before returning to her home state of California.
“Tales from the Tavern is such a writers’ room, and Nashville has that tradition of songwriters’ rooms ... that idea of writers in the round, just trading tunes and telling the stories behind them,” Spring told the Sun. “From what I’ve read about it, it has that tradition.”
It’ll be the band’s first time performing at the Maverick Saloon—and in Santa Ynez in general. Like Spring, Barnett is stoked for the 90-minute Tavern show because the local series is known for allowing its featured artists ample time to divulge some unique insights between songs.
The saloon also films each concert in the series and archives shows in their entirety online along with interviews the venue conducts with each artist.
“I think it really will give us the opportunity to tell the stories [behind the songs],” Barnett said. “That’s what this music series is all about.”
One of Spring’s songs set to be highlighted is “T-Shirt from California,” a nostalgic piece she wrote during her time in Nashville, the musician said.
“I did end up writing some songs about California because I was homesick,” said Spring, who described the tune as “kind of a love letter to California, about all the things I missed.”
The band’s musicians and producers Spring works with bring their own interpretations and imagination to the songwriting process.
“The great thing is that everybody in the band is so skilled in terms of musicianship that sometimes I’ll bring in a song where I had a demo of it that went a completely different way,” Spring said, “and then the band and the producers we’ve worked with really re-envision it, reimagine it in a way that I love, and sometimes it’s totally different than the way I might have done it if it were just me.”
One of Barnett’s favorite songs in which she shares a byline with Spring and Montgomery is “Everybody Wants Peace On Earth,” a holiday anthem with a clear message in the tradition of John and Yoko’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).”
Barnett and Spring recalled writing the song with Montgomery in a setting that screams polar opposite vibes to the tune’s subject matter: Desert Hot Springs, California, during summer a few years ago.
“It’s one of those songs we kind of really hoped would become an annual Christmas song because of its message,” Barnett said. “It’s really timely, unfortunately all the time; especially now. ... It’s a ‘no more war song.’”
The composition’s lyrics include, “If one voice can stop a war/ What are we waiting for?” among verses that illustrate imagery of streetcorner Santas and strings of colored lights.
“It doesn’t hit you over the head; it just kind of has a message of peace,” Barnett said. “It’s a peace and love song, really, and if we can every year get a little more attention on that song, I think we’d be really happy.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood would like to wish Ron and Harry a Happy Christmas. Send holiday sweaters to [email protected].
