Sonny Smith copes with a painful separation on this extremely personal country album. Recorded directly to tape in a musty basement smelling of beer and tobacco, Longtime Companion (out June 26th on Polyvinyl Records) explores love and heartache along the vein of Gene Clark, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Johnny Cash. Sonny dives into his self-described “sea of darkness” with a wide range of intimate lyrics, pedal steel, and acoustic guitars.

After just one listen, it’s clear no other genre could so eloquently frame Sonny’s heartbreaking internal monologue more than the old time country music he grew up with. His dad is a banjo player and his parents and friends played old time music. "It was around the house, but I didn't like it!" recalls Sonny. "My dad played banjo and his friends would come over and play fiddle and mandolin. But I would go watch tv or listen to AC/DC."

However, some kind of country strain sank in. Gene Clark, The Flying Burrito Brothers, a little Johnny Cash, even the countrier side of the Kinks – there are hints of all of these in the new record and yet ultimately it still remains a Sonny & the Sunsets sound through and through.