by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
Bristol, TN – February 26, 2026 – Branson, Missouri–based Americana singer-songwriter Sundi Jo will travel to Bristol, Tennessee, March 12–17 to record her forthcoming full-length album, Whiskey Redemption, a concept album written about her father that confronts addiction, inherited trauma, breaking generational curses, and the power of forgiveness.
Whiskey Redemption tells the truth about addiction, not only how it destroys, but how it reshapes families long after it’s gone. Drawing from Sundi Jo’s relationship with her dad, the album unfolds as a stark, compassionate narrative about loving someone you cannot save, telling the truth out loud, and refusing to carry shame forward.
Rather than offering redemption through sobriety or resolution, Whiskey Redemption traces a more complicated path: one marked by memory, grief, accountability, mercy, and the conscious choice to break a generational cycle. The songs examine addiction as inheritance, patterns of harm passed down quietly, and the moment where responsibility shifts and a line is finally drawn.
“This album was part of my own healing, healing I didn’t even know I needed,” Sundi Jo shares. “I spent all of 2025 writing these songs, trying to tell the truth as carefully and honestly as I could. Writing them helped me understand my dad differently, and it helped me say things out loud that I had carried quietly for a long time.”
The project opens with Before Whiskey, released in September 2025, which introduced listeners to the album’s emotional foundation, childhood love, and moments of light that coexisted with addiction. From there, the record progresses through loss, reckoning, and clarity, allowing each chapter to stand on its own without explanation or excuse.
Whiskey Redemption will be recorded at Classic Recording Studio, located on the same historic stretch of State Street where the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers recorded their earliest work. Often referred to as the birthplace of American roots music, Bristol’s legacy of stripped-down, story-first songwriting made it a natural fit for an album grounded in honesty and restraint.
Classic Recording Studio is owned and operated by Grammy-nominated engineer and producer Mike Stephenson, whose work spans Americana, rock, pop, and film and television projects for Disney, Netflix, and Hulu. Known for capturing organic performances and prioritizing feel over flash, the studio reflects the album’s commitment to letting the songs and their stories lead.
The album is produced by Brad Hacker of Little Alien Music Production, who has produced Sundi Jo’s previous releases.
“It’s wild to realize this is the first full album I’ve produced sober, and it happens to be one about addiction and loss,” Hacker says. “There’s a depth and clarity in these songs that comes from telling the truth without trying to fix it. My job was simply to get out of the way and let that honesty come through.”
Beyond her work as an Americana recording artist and writing songs for herself, Sundi Jo is an accomplished songwriter in other genres, having co-written a Faith Country single that spent four consecutive weeks at #1 and earning a Southern Gospel cut.
Rather than positioning Whiskey Redemption as a collection of singles, Sundi Jo approaches the project as a cohesive body of work, one meant to be heard from beginning to end. Recording in Bristol marks a significant milestone in bringing this story fully to life.
Additional details, behind-the-scenes content, and release information will be shared in the months ahead.
Media inquiries, interviews, or coverage requests:
Orange Zebra Music
press@orangezebramusic.com
sundijo.com
by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
Recently, I had the opportunity to be interviewed on The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast, one of the most respected songwriting podcasts in Nashville hosted by hit songwriters Brent Baxter and Johnny Dwinell.
There are no accidents. God’s timing is amazing! I’ll get back to that in a minute. The way this story comes together blows my mind!
———
First, today is a day filled with some sadness, hope, and excitement all wrapped into one.
17 years ago today, my dad, Doug, took his last breath. Here are some lyrics from a song that will be on the new album that describes that day….
“I got the call at 4 am / He fell asleep and never woke again / No sirens screamed, no last goodbye / Just a quiet thief… that won… the fight / Fentanyl”
To say that it crushed my heart was an understatement. It took years to heal. And even all these years later, there are parts of me still healing from that devastation.
But God….
I get to mourn with hope, knowing that someday I will dance with my dad in heaven. Someday. Because before he left this world, I had the honor of introducing him to Jesus. Fentanyl can’t take that away.
Seems like an appropriate time to say, Suck it, Satan!
———
Now, picture it. Belle, Missouri, 2020. (I’ve been watching Golden Girls reruns for the last week, so just go with me here.)
The great toilet paper crisis of 2020 hit, and just like most of the rest of the world, I was sitting at home in my pajamas, wondering what was happening next. I was working in prisons at the time, teaching personal and professional development, where I had the opportunity to share my dad’s DOC # and tell grown men with hardened hearts and criminal pasts that it wasn’t too late for them to still be dads to their kiddos.
But when the world shut down, so did the prisons, and my job abruptly stopped.
I had a lot of time on my hands to think, and boy, did I ever do some thinking and praying. I got out my big binder of songs that I’d been writing since I was a kid and stared through them. 99% of them sucked, but on those pages, I saw hope. I saw a gift God had given me that I didn’t want to waste anymore.
I asked myself this question… “Am I going to keep dreaming about being a songwriter, or am I gonna get off my butt and actually do this thing?”
I decided the latter. So, I got out of those pj’s, took a shower, and dove in. I haven’t looked back since.
I started researching everything I could about songwriting. That’s when I found out about the Nashville Songwriters’ Association (NSAI), so I joined. The memories are a little blurry, but I then found out about this podcast through American Songwriter Magazine called “The C.L.I.M.B.” So, I tuned in. And I found out about sonwriting coaching through one of the hosts, Brent Baxter. I dove into everything he was teaching about songwriting.
That great toilet paper crisis is not something I take lightly. It flipped the world upside down. People lost their lives. I don’t take any of that lightly.
But for me… it was one of the greatest seasons that ever happened to me. God and I started building dreams together.
———
And here we are today…
Several months ago, Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter, hosts of the C.L.I.M.B. Podcast, reached out to me for an interview. They wanted me to be a GUEST on the very show I had been a student and fan of for the last six years.
And here’s where God’s timing comes in. Something happened, and we had to reschedule the interview. No worries.
But as we finished the interview, Johnny told me the air date would be February 24. They had no idea that was the 17th anniversary of my dad’s death, but God did!
I just can’t stop being amazed at God’s goodness in all of this!
In the interview, we talked about so many things, including writing and releasing “Before Whiskey,” and we also discussed this new album I’m about to record in a few weeks. An album all about my dad. A journey through songs that have brought another layer of healing to my heart, and that I believe God is going to use to heal other hearts shattered by addiction, abandonment, generational curses, and more.
And here we are… on the very day… my dad went to be with Jesus, sharing more of our story with the world.
Still trying to wrap my head around it.
———
I’ve told Johnny and Brent a hundred times that the work they are doing matters. It may just seem like a podcast where two guys in the music business get together and chat, and interview other pros in the industry. But it’s WAY more than that.
Their obedience to do this podcast is changing lives. It’s changing the generations. I’m living proof of that. It changed my life. And now I’m getting the opportunity to change other lives through the power of words.
———
We’re just getting started. Let’s go, God!
I hope you enjoy the interview.
by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
I walked in, and there it was… the same one I’d seen for the fifth time in 4 years.
I don’t know what kind of wood it is, but I know the color. It’s the color of grief. I guess grief looks like warm wood grain. Not shiny.
The lid opens the same as it always did. The white crepe is pleated and lined with gentleness—a satin pillow to let the end rest easily.
I told my cousin Nichoel, “Do you realize this is the 5th time our family has rented this casket?” It sucked the breath out of me, saying it out loud. I wouldn’t wish that reality on my worst enemy.
I walked up to it slowly, holding my mom’s hand while my grandma’s arm looped through mine. I didn’t want to see it, not again. But I did, because grief said, “go,” and grief was in charge in that moment.
Yep. The wood I saw four times before that. Yep. The same satin. Yep, the same thin lines on the side. But this time it held more tears. You couldn’t see the tears, but I knew they were there.
Tears soaked through the satin when my cousin Chris was murdered, and we rented that waiting space to hold him for a little bit longer while we said goodbye. Tears from his kids. From friends. Oh, my grandma’s tears.
Then there were more tears when my aunt Sherri left this world abruptly, and we rented that waiting space to hold her for a little bit longer while we said goodbye. Tears from her kids. From her grandkids. From friends. I kissed her forehead with tears. And oh, my grandma’s tears.
Then more tears came when my Grandpa stopped suffering and took his final breath, and we rented that waiting space to hold him for a little bit longer while we said goodbye. Tears from his kids. From friends. From grandkids. And tears from my grandma that represented a thousand different stages of grief from 70+ years of life with him – a life that wasn’t for the faint of heart. Oh, my grandma’s tears.
Then, there were more tears when my aunt Vicki succumbed to the hands of a man who was supposed to honor her and care for her, and we rented that waiting space to hold her for a little bit longer while we said goodbye. Tears of confusion. Tears of anger. Tears of forgiveness. And oh, Grandma’s tears. Tears of a mother burying the third child in two years. Those kinds of tears will shake you. Oh, my grandma’s tears.
Here’s the crazy thing. Our family didn’t get a break from death, but we got a break from that casket when Reven and Avery died in the accident, because their funeral was held 15 minutes away.
And I remember walking into the gymnasium, because we needed a bigger space for all the people, and seeing their caskets. I remember feeling a sense of relief that I didn’t have to look at that rented casket one more time.
Sounds weird, I know. But grief isn’t one-size-fits-all.
And in the in-between of all that, death didn’t stop. We just got a break from that casket when my Grandma buried her sister and two brothers. Other caskets held her tears while she said goodbye.
And then… for the 5th time, a couple of months ago, I saw that damn casket again when Brian left this world, and we rented that waiting space to hold him for a little bit longer while we said goodbye. And there I stood again, knowing all the tears that had fallen in the weight of goodbyes. And this time, more tears fell. Tears of a young widow who had her life planned out with the man she loved. Tears from his kids, who never get to say goodbye again. Tears from so many friends. And then… I watched Grandma drop more tears.
That warm, wooden box holds the pain of The Woolleys. It holds secrets. It holds memories full of laughter. It holds memories of darkness. It holds hope. Fear. Joy. Grief. And tears. So many tears.
And then I’m reminded that God keeps track of all of our sorrows. He collects all our tears in a bottle. (Psalm 56:8) Ahh.. yes… the tears that casket holds have no comparison to the tears God holds for us. That brings comfort in the grief.
My prayer is that there isn’t a 6th time. My prayer is that that casket full of tears never catches another one of my grandma’s tears, or any of ours for that matter.
And if there ever is another time, I hope that casket doesn’t recognize us.
by | Life Application
THE WORD IS OUT!!! So thankful that our song “Good as Old” was picked as second place winner in the American Songwriter lyric contest.
Thanks to my cowriters, Paul Ivy and Elizabeth Eckert for being a part of this special one.
Here are the full lyrics:
Good as Old – ©2023, Eagle When She Flies Music – Writers: Paul Ivy, Elizabeth Eckert, Sundi Jo Graham
Verse One:
He saw that gold ring on my finger
Asked how many years so far
I said 2 he grabbed a bottle
From the top shelf of his bar
I said, “What’s all this about ol’ whiskey
Is it really worth the price?”
He smiled at me and whispered
Can I give you some advice?
Chorus:
Love won’t stay new forever
That ring will lose its shine
But some things just get better
Like guitars and vintage wine
One thing I’ve learned that’s true
time’s worth it’s weight in gold
If you think love’s good as new
wait til it’s
Good as old
Verse Two:
He said a couple years aint nothin
The next ten will just fly by
But when you see her hold your first born
Then you’ll start to know why
Everyday’s another reason
To hold on to what you’re given
I’m not saying that it’s easy
But it’s what makes life worth living
Repeat Chorus
Bridge:
He winked at me and I said man you made my day
When I got home I knew just what to say
Repeat Chorus
If you think love’s good as new
wait til it’s
Good as old
by | Life Application
It’s the end of January, and perhaps you’ve already given up on your New Year’s Resolutions. Don’t feel bad.
Research conducted by the University of Scranton suggests that approximately 200 million Americans make New Year’s resolutions at least sometimes. However, the same research indicates that most of us are unsuccessful in achieving them. Several of us only manage to stick to our resolutions for a short time. One-quarter of individuals fail within the first week, while a third don’t make it past the first month. Less than half of us are still making an effort six months later. Merely 8 percent of us are actually able to accomplish them.
Fitness centers often sell year-long contracts, counting on the fact that most people won’t go regularly. They rely on the fact that many members will get distracted, overwhelmed, or simply lose interest after a few visits.
Our New Year’s resolutions are not just about numbers. They are about the most important aspects of our lives, such as health, wealth, relationships, and personal growth.
It’s happened to all of us. We start out strong, but then we get busy, fall behind, or eventually lose motivation. That’s why we have to break away from the faulty system.
Our dreams are way too valuable to entrust to a flawed system.
It’s okay to start fresh today, but it’s time to go beyond just dreaming. It’s time to turn those resolutions into achievable goals.
As you process through your dreams and resolutions, remember not to let yourself get caught in these traps:
Trap 1: Allowing Shame to Dictate Your Path
It’s tempting to let shame shape the narrative of the past year. Reflecting on your eating habits, work productivity, or family time might lead to resolutions like eating healthier, using your phone less, or working fewer hours. While these are admirable goals born from learning experiences, striving to avoid shame or regret falls short of pursuing a truly fulfilling life.
Regret and shame rise up when our actions deviate from our aspirations, revealing our desires and the kind of person we aim to become. Recognize the deeper motivations behind resolutions like eating healthy, using your phone less, or working fewer hours. Fear, regret, and shame might initiate change but won’t sustain the effort and transformation needed for lasting success.
Learn from the past, but let your desires shape your goals for the coming year.
Trap 2: Dreaming Without a Strategy
Noticing what you want is the beginning, but dreaming without action can hinder progress and lead to the belief that change is impossible. Dreams should propel you to act, and the bridge between dreaming and acting is turning your dreams into SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound). Reasonable goals drive action, build confidence, and foster belief in your ability to achieve change.
Set goals that empower you and your achievements.
Trap 3: Overcommitting
The allure of reinvention with a “New year, new me” mentality is strong in the last week of December and the first few weeks of January. While change is possible, it requires effort, time, and sometimes limited resources.
Guard against overcommitting and living with unrealistic expectations. Set a limited number of goals for the year, focusing on two to three per quarter. Constraints can help create lasting changes.
As you embark on a new year full of new adventures, acknowledge your desires, set purposeful goals, and prioritize sustainable growth over radical reinvention.
The possibilities are exciting! What will you make of them?
Need help taking your goals to the next level? I recommend the Full Focus Goal-Setting Course. It’s like Google Maps for your goals. Learn more here…
by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
I haven’t watched The Voice in years, but when Reba announced she was joining the team, I knew I wasn’t missing it. Then, add a 16-year-old Missouri gal like Ruby, who can sing your socks off. I was hooked!
Reba and Ruby teamed up on the finale to sing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Right out of the gate, Reba forgot the words.
A musical legend…
A woman who’s been on more stages than most people will be on in a lifetime…
25 #1 songs…
3 Grammys…
…And a partridge in a pear tree
And she messed up on live television!
And I loved every minute of it! You mean, I’m celebrating because Reba screwed up? Absolutely not.
I loved it because it was real. No B.S. No starting over. No pretending like she had it all together. And what I loved even more was that she didn’t let it stop her. She didn’t skip a beat. She kept going. She kept singing. She kept smiling. She kept entertaining.
And she showed that extremely talented, sweet 16-year-old girl who people will try to devour in this business and the other amazingly talented contestants how to be a true performer.
She didn’t quit.
She didn’t run away.
She kept moving forward and kicked butt and took names.
Not only did she show them, but she showed me and the rest of us who are chasing this dream called music how to keep holding our heads up high and keep moving forward when we have a setback.
And she showed us authenticity. Something the world is starving for right now.
When I saw her in concert last year, she couldn’t hit a high note in a specific song because she started having a coughing fit. She’d been fighting off something for a few days.
She kept moving forward, got a tissue, blew her nose, and kept on singing. She barely missed a beat.
But what I loved even more is that she could’ve just thrown that used tissue down on the ginormous stage and had someone pick it up. Nope… she kept it in her hand, kept singing, kept doing her thing, and got rid of it as she and her band transitioned from one song to another.
Such professionalism and humility.
The world needs more Reba’s. And Ruby’s, too!
Photo Credit: Taste of Country
