‘Anarchist Gospel’ is Sunny War’s most compelling album yet

Watching Sunny War‘s guitar playing is so good, so effortlessly good, that it’s generally the first thing you notice on her records. The Nashville, by way of Los Angeles, singer and virtuoso guitarist experimented with punk and folk music for the last decade, often to dazzling results. On her latest album, other instruments and vocalists play a larger role — and make Anarchist Gospel her most compelling album yet.

I caught up with Sunny on the album’s release day to talk about the evolution in her sound thanks, in part, to an unemployment check during the pandemic, the differences between the music scene of Los Angeles and Nashville, and her work with nonprofit group Food not Bombs. Our session kicks off with a performance of “No Reason” from the stage of World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.