It’s been a while since Upstate New York based singer-songwriter Laura Sumner released her first album back in 2007 so it’s an unexpected pleasure to hear her 5-song, 20 minute, 2022 album Red Clay Blue Sky. Laura claims big influences like Neil Young and Neil Diamond and there is a bit of self-confessional insights in her music. Taking the lead vocal spotlight throughout the CD, Laura gets top notch support from fine players including Santo Rizollo (drums), Alex Eckhardt (bass), Alan Markley (keyboard), Vin Landolfi (electric guitar) and producer Marc Swersky (acoustic guitar, percussion).

Speaking about the origins and inspirations of her latest CD, Laura Sumner told Roots Music Report, “Red Clay Blue Sky is my first collection of original songs produced with a full band. I write all my songs on guitar so it was thrilling to hear them interpreted by Marc Swersky and a band of amazing, top-notch musicians. I didn’t plan this, but three of the songs are soaked in the American experience.  ( “American Man,” “Cowboy From Queens,” and “Telling Georgia Goodbye. ) My parents were from Georgia, but my childhood was mostly in California and Connecticut so a lot of my music is about being in different sub-cultures of America. I guess “Tides” and “My Mother and Me” are more universal and anyone from anywhere could relate to them."

Musically, the 5-track EP touches on current hard times, (“American Man”), life confessionals (“My Mother And Me” and “Telling Georgia Goodbye”), and unrequited love (“Tides”, “Cowboy From Queens”). Throughout the set, Ms. Sumner’s voice and presence is quite strong and her material lives up to its best moments. Producer Marc Swersky has done an excellent job capturing the sound of this band in the recording studio. After hearing Red Clay Blue Sky, it's clear that Laura Sumner is an artist worthy of further investigation.