(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) – When country-roots singer/songwriter Grant Maloy Smith wrote “Fly Possum Fly,” he knew that he wanted a more youthful voice than his own for the record, so he turned to 14-year-old EmiSunshine. Smith sings on the record, but he let EmiSunshine take the lead.
“It’s for a slightly younger audience, and even though Emi is not a little kid, she is certainly closer to that age than I am,” Smith said. “Her voice has the perfect Appalachian sound. She reminds me of a young Dolly Parton.”
“Fly Possum Fly” is about magical possums that save Christmas, by flying Santa’s sleigh after Rudolph comes down with the flu. EmiSunshine knew she wanted to record it, the first time she heard Smith’s demo.
“I love the way the song flows,” EmiSunshine said. “The concept may seem silly, but it’s so clever and funny. I sure would like to see Santa and those possums delivering my presents on Christmas morning!”
Smith also wrote a children’s book, based on the song, and is planning several book signings this fall, including the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. He will appear at an author’s table on Saturday, October 13. The next day, he will perform with EmiSunshine as his special guest.
EmiSunshine has been attracting national attention since she was a young girl, appearing at music festivals throughout the world, as well as on NBC’s “The Today Show,” “Little Big Shots,” the Grand Ole Opry and elsewhere. Recently, several of her songs were used in the Elvis Presley documentary “The King,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
Fly Possum Fly (Bluegrass version)
Fly Possum Fly (Country version)
“Fly Possum Fly” is Smith’s debut book. His 2017 album “Dust Bowl – American Stories” was critically acclaimed and rose to the top 10 on Billboard’s Folk/Americana and Country album sales charts. His credits include the nationally syndicated public television concert programs “Song of the Mountains” and “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour.”
“Fly Possum Fly” (the song) is available to radio stations through Play MPE. It is available to consumers through iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and other digital outlets. The book is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Fly-Possum-Grant-Maloy-Smith/dp/1946664340.
Information about Grant Maloy Smith is available at www.Grant-Maloy-Smith.com. Information about EmiSunshine is available at www.TheEmiSunshine.com.