615 Spotlight: Sundy Best Shine on 'Until I Met You,' Talk Eclectic New Album

Sundy Best's Kris Bentley and Nick Jamerson know that their musical blend covers much musical ground. "That's what we were shooting for," says Kris. "We've been influenced by so many different sounds that it just comes out in our writing and singing. We don't want to be in a box."

Jamerson says that fans who pick up their new album, "Bring Up The Sun" (out this week) will definitely find something to their liking – no matter their musical taste. "We've been really excited to get it out to everyone because we feel like there's a little bit for everybody. There's stuff for the country fans, and the not-so country fans, and even stuff for bluegrass fans. It's all over the map. We're very proud of it."

Leading the charge behind the release is the lead single, "Until I Met You," which has been featured prominently on SiriusXM'S "The Highway." Bentley says that definitely has helped their cause. "It's been a huge deal for John Marks and them at Sirius / XM to pick it up and start playing it. They are one of the top avenues to break an artist and new music." 

Another big moment for the duo as of late has been their performances on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. "I think that any artist that is serious about playing music, that's a goal, especially where we're from, where you have the Country Music Highway," said Jamerson, referring to Eastern Kentucky's U.S. 23. "We grew up listening to the Opry on the radio."

Bentley went on to say that the live performance aspect of Sundy Best is a crucial one in building their career. "It's the most important thing to us, and I think it will always be that way. Performing is something we've done before we started writing – growing up in church. There's something about getting on stage and hopefully reaching people that you can't really replace." 

Go to any of their concert dates, and you will find a devoted fan base. However, they don't refer to them as "fans," but rather the "Kinfolk Movement." Bentley says that's a closer description of the bond between them and their audience. "We chose that term because we don't like to say the word fans. We feel like it puts a disconnect between the music that we're making and the people that are listening to it. In reality, we're just like everyone who is listening to it. It's kind of family-type term, and where we're from, family is really important. Your kinfolk doesn't have to be blood related. It can be friends or whoever you want it to be."

One of the highlights from "Bring Up The Sun" is "Lily," a song that Bentley says has been around a while. "That's an older song that was on our first record. It's a true story. We were living in Lexington at the time. That's one of the first songs that people started to dig. It's become a fan favorite. It might be one of the best songs Nick sings live. I think we captured some of that live energy in the album version."