Sunny War

Born Sydney Lyndella Ward to a single mother in Nashville, the singer/songwriter spent her childhood moving around the United States with her parent, spending significant time in both Nashville and the Detroit suburb of Rochester. During this time, she learned to love a wide variety of music, picking up the guitar at the age of 13. After she spent a rough period combating substance abuse and poverty, she gravitated to blues and folk and relocated to California settling in Venice Beach. Adopting the performing name Sunny War, she’d sometimes moonlight with her punk side band Anus Kings, but it was her folk-blues showcased on a self-released album that began to gain notice from local scenesters. The Roots music revolutionary garnered widespread acclaim for her fourth and latest project Anarchist Gospel (2023), showcasing her eclectic and innovative guitarwork while insightful lyricism bares striking emotional depth.