Festivals & Events
Sister Hazel to Rock Myrtle Beach
The popular southern rock band, Sister Hazel, will be performing at the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach on September 1, 2017. The group is well-known for their hit songs throughout the past two decades, including “All For You,” “Lighter in the Dark,” “We Got it All Tonight,” and more.
Sister Hazel will be performing at the House of Blues as part of their tour “We Got it All Tonight,” to promote their two newest albums, “Lighter in the Dark,” and “Unplugged From Daryl’s House Club.” Tickets are available for this event starting at $17, as well as a limited number of VIP Experiences which include a Sister Hazel pre-show event, a Q&A session with the band, limited-edition merchandise, and more. This is an all-ages show and doors will open at 7:30 p.m.
In light of this exciting upcoming concert, we reached out to Sister Hazel for an exclusive interview with guitar player, Ryan Newell.
MyrtleBeach.com: On behalf of MyrtleBeach.com, I’d first like to welcome you to Myrtle Beach! Have you been here before? If so, did you have time to explore the area? What’s your favorite part?
Ryan Newell: We started playing in Myrtle Beach in the early 90’s. Back in the van and trailer days! We usually play there two times a year. My favorite part of the area is the beach, of course!
MyrtleBeach.com: I understand that you’re on tour right now promoting your two newest albums. Can you tell us what sets these two new albums, “Unplugged from Daryl’s House Club,” and “Lighter in the Dark,” apart from your previous albums?
Ryan Newell:I think we have grown as songwriters and performers. We are getting better at our craft on each album release. Stylistically, I think we leaned more towards our southern rock roots.
MyrtleBeach.com: Your tour is named “We Got it All Tonight,” after one of your songs on “Lighter in the Dark.” Can you please tell us why you chose to name the tour after this song, and what the song means to you?
Ryan Newell: It’s a party song. It’s about appreciating the moment. We want people to leave the struggles of life at the door when they come to our shows. Just be in the moment.
MyrtleBeach.com: Of course, those in the audience at your Myrtle Beach show will be expecting to hear songs off of the new albums. I know this is a tough question to answer as a musician, but what is your favorite song(s) off of the new album(s), and why? If you can’t pick just one, you can also tell me your favorite song to play or sing.
Ryan Newell: That is tough. I really enjoy playing “Run Highway Run.” We extended the ending with a double-time guitar solo that is fun to play. I also like “That Kind of Beautiful” because Ken and Drew get to trade vocals.
MyrtleBeach.com: Sister Hazel is always gaining new fans across the music world, and that’s awesome, but will you be playing some older songs as a nod to the die-hard fans that have been with you since the beginning?
Ryan Newell: We have about six to ten songs that we HAVE to play every night. Our fans have certain songs that they want to hear and when we don’t play them, they are very disappointed. We change up the other ten so no two shows are the same.
MyrtleBeach.com: You guys have been a band for over 20 years, which is absolutely great! Can you tell us how you guys met and what inspired you to make music under the name “Sister Hazel”?
Ryan Newell: Sister Hazel was a nun from Gainesville, FL. She put people in a better place and that’s what we try to do with our music. We all met in college at University of Florida. We met Mark, our drummer, in Tampa. We were all in different bands and decided we would make a better sound with each other. Ken had the original idea to form this band and the rest of us fell into place shortly after.
MyrtleBeach.com: Who would you say are your biggest influences?
Ryan Newell: As a person, my Mother. Musically, it’s way too long of a list but a few are…Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duane Allman, Jimmy Page, Tom Petty, Eagles, AC/DC, Queen, Eric Clapton, so on…
MyrtleBeach.com: Listening to your albums, I can tell how your sound has changed from almost like an alt-rock/Southern rock vibe to something more heavy-handed on Country influence. How would you describe your progression in sound as a musician and as a band that has been around for quite some time?
Ryan Newell: It’s all about what the song needs. We have been writing a lot in Nashville and I think that’s where you hear the influence. We have always been a southern band. We can lean a lot of different ways, but it still sounds like us.
MyrtleBeach.com: The topics of your songs are timeless and I feel as if people can relate to different songs during various times in their lives. Can you name a few songs that you have written that have helped you through certain times in your life?
Ryan Newell: The one the helped me the most is the song “Release.” I went through a rough break up when I wrote that song and it helped me get rid of some bad things in my head. “Take a Bow” is the most vicious song I’ve written. It’s about the same break up.
MyrtleBeach.com: Sister Hazel fans, known as Hazelnuts, come in all ages, shapes, sizes, backgrounds, etc. Why do you think that your music appeals to so many different people?
Ryan Newell: We have a classic sound but we try to stay relevant at the same time. We write about real life, good and bad. No matter how young or old, we’re all the same. Going through the same stuff.
