Music INSIGHT
Sweet
Southern
Comfort
by Benjamin Nunnally
I
t’s just after 7:30 when Sweet Southern
Comfort’s Heather Ross and Christine
Mangham pick up their guitar and mandolin.
The pair sit comfortably on Ross’s couches,
eschewing their custom-made SSC stools.
There’s no bar or restaurant, no crowd of
appreciative listeners tonight; instead, it’s a
quick jam session at Ross’s home.
They jump into the band’s anthem, “Sweet
Southern Comfort,” a Mangham-penned
piece that decodes the meaning behind the
band name; lyrics about front porches and a
little bit of alcohol sung through a knowing
grin, an acknowledgement of the Southern,
country music lifestyle without twangy guitar and overblown accents.
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Things get complicated when Ross takes her
turn at the guitar, pulling out “Trampled,” one
of her originals, with irregular rhythms and
a bit of 90’s singer-songwriter angst, mixed
with their trademark harmonized vocals.
“I guess you could say she would be more
folky Americana and I would probably be
more on the country, rock and roll,” said
Mangham, accounting for Sweet Southern
Comfort’s diverse styles.
Taking a peek at an old setlist reveals songs
by Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow, even
a crack at “Wagon Wheel,” a Calhoun County staple request. There are surprises, too; a
take on Outkast’s “Hey Ya” is an immediate
eye-catcher. Their cover of Lorde’s “Royals”
stands out as an example of what makes
Sweet Southern Comfort unique.
January 2015
INSIGHT