''Sassafrass!'' is the sixth
studio album by Canadian-New Zealand country singer
Tami Neilson
Tamara Neilson, known professionally as Tami Neilson, is a Canadian-born New Zealand country & soul singer/songwriter. She is the winner of multiple awards, including the 2014 APRA Silver Scroll Awards and Best Country Song Award; she is also the ...
, released in June 2018.
Production
The album was inspired by Neilson's experiences of becoming a mother, losing her father and turning 40. She felt that the album expressed her "coming into confidence as a woman" and is a celebration of her newly-found freedom.
Because of this, many of the songs on the album focused on
gender equality
Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...
.
Sonically, Neilson was inspired by musicians including
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics a ...
,
Big Mama Thornton and
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Dur ...
.
The song "Miss Jones" was written as a tribute to
Sharon Jones
Sharon Lafaye Jones (May 4, 1956 – November 18, 2016) was an American soul and funk singer. She was the lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Jones experienced breakthrough succ ...
.
The album's title, ''Sassafrass!'', is a slang term referring to a self-assured person.
Release and promotion
Three singles were released from the album: "Stay Outta My Business" in March 2018, "Manitoba Sunrise at Motel 6" in May and "Devil in a Dress" in July, a month after the album's release.
Reception
At the
2018 New Zealand Music Awards, ''Sassafrass!'' was nominated for the
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
award, and led to Neilson being nominated for the
Best Solo Artist award.
Track listing
Credits and personnel
*Brett Adams – guitar
*Chris Chetland – mastering
*Ashley Church – photography
*Anita Clark – strings
*Georgie Clifford – backing vocals
*Sarena Close – backing vocals
*Reuben Derrick – horns
*Ben Edwards – co-producer, mixing engineer
*Natalee Fisher – hair, make-up
*Mike Hall – bass
*Xoë Hall – artwork
*Nyree Huyser – backing vocals
*Dave Khan – strings
*Jules Koblun – artwork design
*Joe McCallum – drums, percussion
*Tami Neilson – acoustic guitar, co-producer, vocals
*Cameron Pearce – horns
*Josh Petrie – assistant engineer
*Gwyn Reynolds – horns
*Scott Taitoko – horns
*Neil Watson – guitar, pedal steel guitar
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sassafrass
2018 albums
Tami Neilson albums