Ever been told you’re “a little too much”? Singer-songwriter Sally-Anne Whitten declares it’s a term that’s been implied, thrown around and directed at her, her whole life. She’s heard it all before, too loud, too shy, too mouthy, too opinionated, too hard, too soft, too young, too old… it always made her feel like she was never “just right”. Of course, as life went on, she came to realise there’s no such thing, and actually a little too much of anything is just perfect.
The tracks on this new album are all about what made the country-blues vocalist who she is today. Songs about her incredible group of friends and family, childhood icons, loves and losses, lessons learned from relationships, digging deep to find strength to deal with all the hard things that life throws at you.
The life-long Tamworth local reflects on her latest creation, “This album was hard to write, difficult but cathartic, and even joyful at times. Some of these songs were born from little scraps of lines and ideas that I’d had lying around for a while which then came together, almost by magic. It was both painful and healing to dig through old memories, childhood experiences, examine past mistakes and relationships. Knowing who you are is knowing where you come from, and that’s what this album is all about”.
Produced by Sally-Anne and Alwyn Aurisch (who also played all the guitar parts on the album) she laughingly shares that “there were surprisingly very few arguments or disagreements during the making of this album. We were on the same page with the style and sounds we wanted to produce, it was really a fun process of throwing ideas around and seeing what would happen”.
“A Little Too Much” is Sally-Anne’s first full-length album since 2018’s “Burgundy Street” and for the first time in her 21 years of recording she’s written every track (with some help from her friends). The eagerly anticipated album might be Sally-Anne’s best, most authentic work yet. The album will released on Friday July 19th & launched that evening during the Hats Off To Country festival at The Press Basement Bar in her hometown – more info
“A Little Too Much” track by track
- Not Afraid Of The Dark* (S.Whitten/J.Craswell) Have you ever noticed that those friends who have their own hard things going on are the first to hold their hand out when you’re in the dark? Where would we be without those beautiful souls who help us through the hard stuff? This song is for them. Written with my friend James Craswell via messenger! (Released as a single in April 2021)
- Blue Steel Ride (S. Whitten) Not all cars are just cars; some become a part of the fabric of your life, intertwined with all the big moments… carrying babies home from hospital, families to funerals, daughters to their wedding… and all the family holidays, band trips, and wonderful memories in between. So many memories in my Dad’s mighty v8 Falcon… a cherished extra member of the family.
- Carry Me (S. Whitten) When checking in on a family member I asked how they were really doing. They replied “things are pretty rough right now. But I will always be all right.” The courage to accept that things might not be good at that moment but will somehow eventually be ok, and in the meantime do whatever you need to get there… that conversation stayed with me for a long time. A song about how pain is temporary, and the resilience of the human spirit.
- How Deep You Gotta Dig (S. Whitten) How long does it take to shake the blues? I mean, really get rid of them for good? Sometimes it feels like you never will. And that’s ok. Make friends with the blues instead. But let them know who’s boss.
- Saving Grace (S.Whitten) Being taken for granted is awful. Whether it’s a partner or a job, a friendship, or any sort of relationship. And I am an eternal optimist, or perhaps a fool, to keep hoping that one day those people in our lives might start to see how hard we try. Even when perhaps, we should just call it quits.
- Daughter Of A Queen** (S. Whitten) My Mum’s departure in 2020 left a massive gaping hole in our lives. A strong, warm, sassy, take no BS lady… she is missed so much. A small consolation is that she lives on in me… every time I speak, I hear her voice… when I look in the mirror, I see her green eyes staring back at me. This keeps her close to me. And keeps her spirit alive. (Released as a single in April 2023)
- Restless Soul (S. Whitten) I have always been a searcher. I have trouble being still. My Dad told me once when I was a little girl that I was never happy, and he was right. I’m always looking ahead, wondering how I could do better, be better, achieve more… It’s a curse. Stops me from being in the moment and celebrating what I have. Will I change? Can I learn to be satisfied? Stay tuned for the next album to find out, I guess!
8. Good Girl (S. Whitten) **Focus track/new single** It’s impossible to be a girl/woman and meet society’s ever-changing standards and ideals. I’ve been trolled by people for being too opinionated, too old, too young, too serious, wearing pants, having short hair… you name it, the list goes on. We are expected to show up as feminine creatures with masculine energies. Be sexy but demure. Smart, but not too smart that people will feel threatened etc etc. It’s literally impossible to be all these things and be their perfect ideal woman/girl. Harder even when you’re attempting a career in the public eye. It’s not just men either… women can be each other’s worst enemies. This is an exasperated, but tongue in cheek look at the outrageous double standards we are expected to meet as women in today’s society. And naturally… I plan to meet zero of them, because the world needs legends… not ladies.
Album Credits – A LITTLE TOO MUCH – Sally-Anne Whitten
- Not Afraid Of The Dark * (S.Whitten/J.Craswell)
- Blue Steel Ride (S. Whitten)
- Carry Me (S. Whitten)
- How Deep You Gotta Dig (S. Whitten)
- Saving Grace (S.Whitten)
- Daughter Of A Queen ** (S. Whitten)
- Restless Soul (S. Whitten)
- Good Girl (S. Whitten) ***
Guitars, Dobro – Alwyn Aurisch
Bass – Alwyn Aurisch, *Trevor Stacey
Drums/Percussion – Scott Hills, *Dave Adams
Keys – Phil Weaver, **Vaughan Jones, ***Garry Steel
Backing Vocals – Matt O’Leary, *James Craswell
Produced by Sally-Anne Whitten & Alwyn Aurisch.
Engineered and mixed by Alwyn Aurisch.
Mastered by Michael Macken at Positive Spiral
Photography: Di Stacey Photography
Artwork/Design: Michael Bryers @ Imaged
GET SOCIAL WITH SALLY-ANNE WHITTEN:
FEEDBACK WELCOME
KRISKAT PUBLICITY AND ITS ARTISTS ALWAYS WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK – ANY INFORMATION YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE IS VITAL TO A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
DO YOU SEND FEEDBACK TO COUNTRY SONGS TOP 40 CHART/COUNTRY RADIO CHARTS?
IF YOU LIKED THIS TRACK/ARE PLAYING THIS TRACK – PLEASE REMEMBER TO INCLUDE ‘GOOD GIRL’ – SALLY-ANNE WHITTEN‘ WITH YOUR FEEDBACK
PROBLEMS DOWNLOADING, MORE INFO, AN INTERVIEW WITH SALLY-ANNE WHITTEN
EMAIL | M: 0414 334 348