Loretta Lynn Once Told Sunny Sweeney That If You Don’t Ever Get Nervous As A Musician, “You Better Find A New Job”

Even the best in the business still get nervous at times. And according to some of the genre’s legends, it’s a bad thing if you aren’t getting nervous.

Sunny Sweeney is on a press tour after releasing her most recent project, Rhinestone Requiem. Regarded as one of the best female voices in the Texas and Red Dirt scenes, Sunny Sweeney has achieved mainstream success along the way, releasing numerous singles, five albums, and an EP. In the last five years, we have seen some of Sweeney’s best work, notably with her 2022 record, Married Alone, which showcased her authentic country stylings while delving into the heartbreak of divorce. In 2024, Sweeney turned the page and showed fans a healed version of herself with her 2024 album Still Provoked, making for some of the best music of her career. 

Rhinestone Requiem expands on this stellar chapter of music from the Longview, Texas native.

While Sweeney is settled into her career and more confident than ever with herself as an artist, that does not mean there won’t still be moments that leave you with butterflies in your stomach. Whether it’s nerves you experience before releasing a record, stepping onto a stage, or pushing a boundary with your sound that you hope will lead to a positive reaction from your fans, many moments make musicians nervous, no matter how long they’ve been in the game.

And according to the “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Miss Loretta Lynn, you’re doing something wrong if you aren’t experiencing nervous moments as an artist. Sunny Sweeney recently shared some wisdom that Loretta Lynn bestowed upon her during an interview with Tay Stanford:

“She told me that if you don’t get nervous, then you’re doing something wrong. So she’s like, ‘You better find a new job if you don’t get nervous ever.’ 

And I was like, ‘Well, I do get nervous. I just get nervous at the Opry.’ She goes, ‘That’s fine. That’s fine. Just make sure you still get nervous sometimes. Because you want to hold yourself to some sort of standard.'”

If an artist like Loretta Lynn, who was such a pioneer and left a lasting legacy, still got nervous at times, then it’s okay for everyone to get anxious. While it’s a simple philosophy, it’s great advice to pass on to younger artists hoping to have careers as long as Loretta Lynn’s.

Nerves aren’t always a bad thing, and these words from Loretta Lynn prove that.

@taystanfordmusic If Loretta got nervous, it’s okay if we do too! #countrymusic #lorettalynn #artists #advice #foryou #sunnysweeney ♬ original sound – Tay Stanford

Before you go, fire up a few songs from Rhinestone Requiem.

“Diamonds & Divorce Decrees”

“Traveling On”

The post Loretta Lynn Once Told Sunny Sweeney That If You Don’t Ever Get Nervous As A Musician, “You Better Find A New Job” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.