by Kim Ruehl (@kimruehl), Folk Alley

Sunny War came of age hopping trains and busking around Los Angeles. She played in a punk band even as she was a fan of folk-blues artists from a century ago. All of these elements swirl together in her songwriting, which is unpretentiously poetic, clear and concise, catchy but remarkably simple. Across her handful of albums, her songwriting has depicted the remarkable growth and evolution of a songwriter with impeccable instincts, and her latest effort, Simple Syrup, is another impressive step on that journey. When we spoke for the Why We Write podcast, Sunny War was in the process of recording the album, happy to ruminate on her unfolding career, her experiences with ayahuasca, and the way a year of quarantine was impacting her creative process.