Sarah Burton apologizes for past mistakes and eyes a more stable future with her double A-side singles Sorry and Oklahoma — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The Ottawa-born, Texas-based Americana singer-songwriter continues to ride high with two more treats from her recently released Swoonville USA album. Although Sorry and Oklahoma are different in terms of structure, style and sound, the quality and musicianship are something to be envied by anyone who appreciates great, infectious music.
Sorry is a reflective, contemplative nugget Burton says speaks to acknowledging past mistakes that run the gamut from little white lies to something far more significant. It’s a universal emotion that causes people to relive those miscues and criticize themselves for what they did at the time. And it’s something Burton admits to.
“I’ve been a good person in my life, for the most part,” Burton says. “But I’ve had moments that to this day make me cringe. There are times in my life I look back on and have to realize that although I may have thought in that moment that I was right — I was wrong to act the way I did. It pains me to admit that I may have had a part to play in somebody’s bad time, but I surely did. This song is an apology for things I can’t change, for mistakes I made, for hurts I caused, whether I meant to or not.”
Burton, who spends time in Texas locales like Austin and Terlingua as well as Idaho, is front and center on Sorry. Although strumming her acoustic guitar to start the track, Burton’s rich voice is accompanied by a simple but timeless mix of folk, roots, and pop that winds its way around her ridiculously sweet delivery. While recounting incidents dating back to high school, Burton’s approach brings to mind artists like Sheryl Crow, The Chicks and Australian folk-roots group The Waifs.
Written by Burton and produced by Jane Aurora, Sorry features Burton on vocals and guitar, Matt Kelly on keyboards, backing vocalist Jody Peck, bassist Erik Nielsen and drummer Leon Power. The same musicians are also used on the other A-side Oklahoma (also written by Burton and produced by Aurora), with Kelly playing both guitar and pedal steel guitar and Australia’s sweetheart Liz Stringer leading the charge on the backing vocals.
As for Oklahoma, Burton says the punchy, country-tinged jewel was inspired by a man in a “denim pearl-snap shirt” who Burton struck up a conversation with after a show. “He was from Oklahoma, and he was living in his van,” she says of the “ruggedly handsome” gentleman. “I love a good van, so I asked him what kind of van. ‘Do you want to see it?’ I knew what he meant, and it had nothing to do with the make or model of his bed on wheels.”
Although Burton declined, the following morning she woke up with the song in her head. “Oklahoma tells the story of a woman tired of supporting her van-life boyfriend, but willing to make it work if he’s willing to work for it,” she says. “A song about making compromises for love and making changes to work towards a better life together.”
Oklahoma also has a “self-reflexive element,” as Burton says she often sleeps in her van on the road. “It’s a fact which begs the question who is the free-wheeling van-lifer that won’t settle down. Is it the stranger from Oklahoma who I know nothing about? Or is it the woman with a tattoo of a minivan and no fixed address?”
Fueled by a steady country-leaning melody that is powerful and melodic, Oklahoma has Burton leading the way that brings to mind Crow’s The Globe Sessions with its authenticity and earthy vibes. The solid rhythm section enables the song to flourish with a bigger arrangement complete with pedal steel and lovely harmonies. Kelly provides some gorgeous roots rock riffs in the bridge before Burton brings it back home masterfully. In short, much like Sorry, Oklahoma is a keeper!
The double A-sides spotlight Swoonville USA, but are just the latest entries in her excellent discography. After the 2008 EP Love Is For Pussies, Burton released her debut LP Mayflower in 2010. Subsequent albums have included 2015’s Make Your Own Bed, 2019’s Give Me What I Want, and 2023’s 64 Magic Queens. Burton has shared the stage with Jim Lauderdale, Mary Gauthier, Big Sugar’s Gordie Johnson and Susan Gibson, and played festivals including Merlefest, North By Northeast and Canadian Music Week.
Check out Sorry and Oklahoma above, hear more from Sarah Burton below, and drive your van over to her website, Facebook and Instagram.
