If you’re looking for country with some funk and spunk to it, a new Ohio band may be your cup of tea. On July 15, SugarCreek released its first ever single “Leavin’ You,” which will accompany the band’s forthcoming debut album. The band lists ‘90s country and modern country artists such as Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, and Rascal Flatts as inspirations. 

“Leavin’ You” starts off with a high-energy groove that will have you longing to dance in the summery sun. Or even catch the sunlit portions of a bar as its setting in. It’s a power track that certainly cranks it to extremes levels. These extremes being the lively drumming, dynamic-sounding guitars, and, of course, lead singer Megan Francis’ commanding vocals.

The song touches on themes of trying to escape the sight of a past love and also finding strength from it. Talks of a small town, finding the highway on your own, and not forgetting the shit that some lovers put you through are just a few of the anecdotes that support the spoiled love storyline. But “Leavin’ You” is far from a hopeless song. On the track, Francis sings, “‘Cause I ain’t done nothing wrong, and that’s the story I’m sticking to.” It leaves the taste of confidence to up and leave a murky situation in your mouth.

A country bop most definitely, “Leavin’ You” really puts it all on the table. With its soaring vocals over the roaring, pitter-patter of guitars, the song even has a little bit of honkey-tonk to it. That’s to say that SugarCreek sounds and acts like a band that you’d run into at a classic country bar. 

When the guitars essentially cut out with a minute to go, the chorus, “Well, I guess I know what I gotta do/I got to hit that road, and I’m driving so far away from you,” elegantly soars for 20 seconds. What’s on display is the work of the confident fronting member of SugarCreek. While Francis sounds flawless throughout the song, it’s this point in the track that has me thinking that this band can go some distance with this project. 

The main feeling that I took away from this track is excitement. Enthusiasm for a band that clearly has a knack for crafting catchy alt-country jams, which is a style that I’m not typically drawn toward. The professional musicianship of all involved in SugarCreek is evident on “Leavin’ You.” Check it out.

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