Singer-Songwriter Suzanne Santo Surprises Her Cleveland Mother with a Special Tribute

Since forming in 2006, the alt-country act HoneyHoney has released three terrific albums. Those albums have established it as a major act in the Americana/alt-country scene. A year ago, the band’s singer, Suzanne Santo, a Cleveland native, released her first solo album. She worked with producer Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, All Time Low) and released Ruby Red, a well-crafted collection of songs that veer from HoneyHoney’s alt-country approach.

This week, just in time for Mother’s Day, Santo, who now lives in Los Angeles, added to her solo catalog with “Mama,” a tune she wrote for her mother. If all goes according to plan, her sister will surprise her mother and play the song for her today.

“I recorded it in a church in Wisconsin,” Santo explains when asked about the track. “It’s a special place. Any artist can go there if you’re a painter or writer or musician. They have funding, so you can stay there for free and work on your craft. I just played my violin and sang in the chapel. I had some of it written and then changed it and reworked it a bit for the recording.”

She says she began writing the song years ago but just never got around to finishing it.

“I’ve never written anything for my mom,” she says. While growing up in Northeast Ohio, she worked at her family’s Santos Pizza and Pasta in Parma. “I was just going to give it to her privately, but I think it’s really special, and it’s for others to appreciate as well. It’s a really emotional thing. I love my mom so much, and we’ve been through a lot as a family. It was hard to get through it without losing it. She is someone I adore so much. It’s hard to be away from her. I wish I could see her and my dad all the time, but I can’t. I couldn’t make it home this year, so I really wanted to do this for her.”

Santo will return to town on June 30 to perform at the Beachland Ballroom.