“Sara Petite is that rare artist who is so original in her sound that she can’t be pinned down to any or two influences. While the music that you hear in this collection sounds familiar, it also sounds distinctive and unique.”
MEET SARA PETITE:
Meet Sara Petite, a fiery Americana singer-songwriter from San Diego, CA, who has torn up stages for the past 15 years with her band. She has released seven albums, and her latest one is coming out on June 9, called The Empress on Forty Below Records, with label president Eric Corne as producer. Her last album Rare Bird, garnered reviews from Americana Highways to American Songwriter magazines praising her; “… she’s still writing and recording her songs from a personal perspective and finding common ground with her listeners all at the same time.”
Sara has played many stages and venues over the years playing with her band and solo as a headliner or a solo performer. Some of the artists she's opened for are Todd Snider, Lucinda Williams, Josh Turner, Lonestar, The Beat Farmers, John Eddie, Marty Stuart, Railroad Earth, and Rhett Miller. Venues played The Belly Up (San Diego), The Mint (L.A.), Hotel Congress (Tucson, AZ), The Basement, and AmericanaFest in Nashville, TN. A splash of festivals and concert series include ones from California to the U.K., Dogwood Festival in Knoxville, Sycamore Fest - Bloomington, Indiana to Maverick Festival (UK), and the Garden Festival (UK) and various ones in her hometown of San Diego, CA.
Check out her live performance videos and her ever-growing tour dates.
https://www.sarapetite.com/tour
“Although she's gained increasing recognition in Americana circles, she is mostly a refreshing, just-a-tad-south-of-Bakersfield country singer.” - Country Standard Time
PRESS AND RADIO:
Sara Petite Announces New Album HerStory: Snakes, Wolves and Honky Tonk Angels
Album Release Celebration Set for Belly Up Tavern on September 2
Award-winning Americana firebrand Sara Petite will release her highly anticipated eighth studio album, HerStory: Snakes, Wolves and Honky Tonk Angels, with a special album release party at the legendary Belly Up Tavern on September 2 at 7:30 p.m.
An outlaw country headliner whose music reaches far beyond the genre’s borders, Petite has built an acclaimed career with songs that owe as much to the rock & roll roadhouse as they do the honky-tonk. Her music is raw, fearless, and deeply human — the sound of an artist who has spent nearly two decades carving her own lane through the Americana landscape.
A five-time International Songwriting Competition finalist, Petite has earned Top 40 Americana chart success, international airplay, and ten San Diego Music Awards trophies while building a devoted audience across the U.S. and Europe. Critics have hailed her as “the benchmark for what Americana music should be about in the 21st century,” while American Songwriter praised her work as “breathtakingly beautiful.”
Her 2023 album The Empress drew widespread acclaim for its grit, storytelling, and swagger. Americana Highways described Petite as possessing “a Janis Joplin crossed with Loretta Lynn country spirit,” while calling the album “an impressive set by a lovely energetic & sassy lady.” Another reviewer called the record “a no-holds-barred travelogue fit for lovers, fighters, and just plain folks who enjoy a rowdy ride in the country.”
Now, with HerStory: Snakes, Wolves and Honky Tonk Angels, Petite delivers what may be her most fearless and personal work yet — a record filled with stories of survival, rebellion, heartbreak, feminine strength, and redemption.
“This album is deeply personal to me. Every song comes from a real place — the heartbreaks, the mistakes, the late nights, the hard lessons, and the moments that changed me forever. Some of these stories are mine, and some belong to people I’ve loved, lost, or met along the way, but all of them are rooted in truth. I’ve never known how to write any other way. I want these songs to feel lived-in — honest, gritty, vulnerable, and authentic — because that’s what life really is.”
The album includes the fiery “Honky Tonk Angels,” inspired by Petite and her fellow female performers, the provocative “I Hate Snakes,” her reinterpretation of the Eve story, and “She Runs With the Wolves,” a song celebrating feminine intuition and empowerment.
The new album was recorded at Track Star Studios in La Mesa with producer Josquin Des Prés, whose past collaborators include Bernie Taupin and Jason Mraz. The sessions brought together an extraordinary cast of musicians, including legendary guitarist John Jorgenson and acclaimed drummers Kenny Aronoff and Aaron Sterling.
Critics have consistently praised Petite’s songwriting and live performances. Americana UK wrote, “Petite doesn’t just perform songs, she inhabits them,” while audiences across the U.S. and the United Kingdom have embraced her high-energy blend of outlaw country, Americana, and rock & roll.
All songs on HerStory: Snakes, Wolves and Honky Tonk Angels were written by Sara Petite except:
- “I Hate Snakes,” written by Sara Petite and Josquin Des Prés
- “In the Names of Dark Angels,” written by Josquin Des Prés, Bernie Taupin, and Mark Paladino
Album Personnel
- Sara Petite — lead vocals
- John Jorgenson — all guitars
- Kenny Aronoff — drums
- Aaron Sterling — drums
- Josquin Des Prés — bass, orchestrations, arrangements
- Chloe Lou — background vocals
- Lauren Lee — background vocals
- Bobby Furgo — violin
- Scott Gorham — keyboards
Recorded by Josquin Des Prés, mixed and mastered by Ian Sutton at Track Star Studios. Produced by Josquin Des Prés. Executive Producer: Sara Petite.
The September 2 album release show at Belly Up Tavern will feature HerStory: Snakes, Wolves and Honky Tonk Angels performed live in its entirety, followed by Sara Petite’s Americana Roundup – Honky Tonk Angels — a high-energy country revue celebrating the music and spirit of country music’s most iconic women. The showcase will feature Sara Petite alongside a lineup of standout female performers delivering original songs, classic country favorites, and honky-tonk anthems in what Sara describes as a “powerhouse celebration” of women in country music.
Sara's new album THE EMPRESS has been getting some great press and radio! They are absolutely head over heels in love with her new music! Check out the quotes from across the music publication spectrum:
A great live show review appeared in The Rocking Magpie in the UK: "The quality of the songs was the common thread, some favourite moments of the night were when Sara Petite softened the mood with her emotionally charged songs." Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2p98cc3b
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