Press

3/7/2024 -  Never were there such devoted Menharts.  Sue Menhart is a regional music icon — our equivalent of one of those Bonnie Raitt/Janis Joplin/Susan Tedeschi types. - The Day
Read more...

 

6/15/2022 -  Sue Menhart Plays Friday happy hour at 21 Rocks - The Day
Read more...

 

3/1/2022 -  The Soul of Sound Waves Returns - Sound Waves Magazine
Read more...

 

2/26/2021 -  Sue Menhart - Making Her Own Headlines - The Day (Leave Work Now! with Rick Koster Podcast)
Read more...

 

4/22/2018 -  Sue Menhart wins Best Local Musician in The Day paper's 2018 Readers' Choice Awards. - The Day
Read more...

 

1/5/2018 - Utilizing a timeless sound centered around Menhart's stormy voice and instantly-fetching, groove-basted songs, "Love Ain't Hard" is an eight-song blast that should resonate with multiple generations of blues-rock fans. - The Day
Read more...

 

12/11/2017 - “Love Ain’t Hard is a solid, cantankerous, rocking good time, with a kind of earthy realism mixed in on the moodier numbers. - Userloseit Songwriting Blog
Read more...

 

12/09/2017 - The strengths of "Moving On" rest on Menhart's compelling, powerfully familiar vocals. She's got a Reba vibe mixed with a dash of Stevie Nicks, endearing and lovely. And the song's sax delivery - a virtuoso performance. - Indie Shuffle
Read more...

 

11/30/2017 - "Menhart’s got one of those real, tough, strong, down to Earth yet reaching for the Heavens voices that makes a listener sit up and take notice...Menhart and her cohorts bring a titanic level of musicianship, songwriting and downright passion that will keep you craving this, and more, for a very long time." - Sound Waves Magazine
Read more...

 

11/22/2017 - "Love Ain't Hard...packed with instantly memorable, passionately-played and performed rock, pop and blues songs." - The Day
Read more...

 

11/21/2017 - "Sue's vocals are amazing and full of soul...The highlight of the album is the emotion-filled delivery of 'Can't Feel The Rain.'" - JP's Music Blog
Read more...

 

11/2/2017 - "Artists gather for 'Pass The Guitar'...The concert benefits the New London Homeless Hospitality Center." - The Day
Read more...

 

4/21/2016 - "Sue Menhart, Don Bergeron play 'Acoustic Magic' in Montville" - The Day
Read more...


7/24/2015 - "Long-running, estimably great blues-rock group, anchored by the monster vocals and songwriting prowess of Menhart" - The Day
Read more...  Watch the Live Lunch Break set here...


6/13/2015 - New London Whalie Award Winner for Best Roots Rock Performance: Sue Menhart Band "Can't Feel The Rain" - The Day
Read more...
Watch the acceptance speech (we weren't there!)


4/1/2015 - Good Sponge Sampler III Brings Poignant Country Music to South-Eastern CT - Sound Waves Magazine
"Sue Menhart has the finest female vocal performance on the bluesy 'Can't Feel the Rain.' Boy can she hit those high notes, and her tune eventually mellows and eventually tapers off with the sultry sounds of a saxophone."
Read more on page 10 of the April 2015 issue...


3/31/2015 - More Than A Dozen Bands Celebrating Good Sponge With CD Release Party - The Hartford Courant
"Along with the Rivergods, Good Sponge artists John Fries and the Elements; the Sue Menhart Band; Chris Mackay and the Toneshifters; the Ebin-Rose Trio, a Celtic-Americana band from Guilford; North Stonington's Dirt Road Radio; and eight other acts will perform."
Read more...


11/05/2014 - Blues Beat - The Middletown Press
"Mohegan Sun and Hall Communications will be hosting a five week contest every Tuesday from November 11th to December 16th (excluding December9th) from 8:00pm-11:00pm. Sixteen local bands and musicians will compete live at the Wolf Den.  Competing at the Wolf Den are The Brandt Taylor Band and The Sue Menhart Band."
Read more...


7/25/2014 - Live Lunch Break Flashback - The Sue Menhart Band - The Day
"Do you feel sad because you didn't see 'Live Lunch Break' on Thursday in New London's Hygienic Art Park? We featured the Sue Menhart Band, one of the absolute finest blues-rock bands in the entire region. Fortunately, we archive all of our 'Live Lunch Break' episodes on theday.com, so it's not too late to see it. Here are fun things to see and watch for in the performance and interview.
• The band has been busy recording a new CD called 'Love Ain't Hard,' due by year's end. They performed the entire album to an ecstatic crowd.
• There's a theme running through the new material: the need for awareness of 'the forgotten' among us including the elderly, the lonely, the homeless, and wounded warriors. And, yes, all proceeds of the sales of the album's title track will go to various appropriate charities.
• What an incredible batch of players Sue has: Kevin Clark (drums), Dave Foret (bass), Don Bergeron (guitar), Dan Spano (keys), Matt Nemeth (sax) and Rob Funk (trombone)."


7/24/2014 - "Menhart's powerhouse voice is matched only by her songwriting and riveting stage presence." - The Day


6/27/2014 - Time to Hoot for Hunger - The Day
"A fine array of local musicians are donating their time in an event that benefits the New London Community Meal Center."
Read more...


12/02/2013 - People's Pick: Sue Menhart - userloseit songwriters blog
"The inaugural interview is with Sue Menhart, a blues rocker with her own band who has a mellower, introspective acoustic side."
Read more...


8/01/2013 - Sue Menhart Band performs for The Day's Live Lunch Break series at the Hygienic Art Park in New London, CT - The Day
See the video...


4/26/2013 - Sue Menhart Band nominated in People's Choice category for Best Blues Band in 4th Annual New London Whalie Awards - Wailingcity.com
Read more...


3/28/2013 - Good Sponge Sampler Volume 2: CD Review and Release Party Preview - CT.com
"Menhart’s singing is punctuated by a lively brass section"
Read more...


3/28/2013 - Good Sponge releases new sampler CD - The Day
Read more...


3/26/2013 - 'Good Sponge Sampler' Highlighting Local Music With Friday Show - NewLondonPatch
"Menhart said she thought the compilation was a way of showing that New London’s small size is not a limiting factor in offering avenues for musicians to succeed."
Read more...


3/16/2013 - Music notes: Compilation spotlights local Americana acts - Norwich Bulletin
"infectious, New-Orleans-jazz influenced 'Sunrise City Café' (Sue Menhart Band)"
Read more...


3/11/2013 - CD Review: Good Sponge Records Releases Good Music On New Sampler - JP's Music Blog
"release begins with the jazzy Sue Menhart Band performing 'Sunrise City Café'"
Read more...


3/6/2013 - Announcing the Good Sponge Sampler Vol. II, featuring 18 new tracks from Southeastern CT-affiliated artists- Good Sponge Records
"from the opening New Orleans-fueled blues of the Sue Menhart Band..."
Read more...


7/5/2012 - Sue Menhart performs on Live Lunch Break - The Day
See the video...


6/4/2012 - Sue Menhart and Nancy Parent perform at the Hoot for Hunger - The Day
See the video...


5/18/2012 - Whalie Nominee Feature Interview - Sue Menhart - Wailingcity.com
Read more...


5/11/2012 - Sue Menhart Band nominated for five Whalie Awards - Norwich Bulletin
Read more...


5/11/2012 - Sue Menhart nominated for five 2012 New London Whalie Awards including Record of the Year (Forever), Best Blues Song (18 Again), Best Solo Singer-Songwriter Song (You Can't Tame Me), Best Americana Album of the Year (Good Sponge CD Sampler), and Best Blues / Country Rock Band - Wailingcity.com
Read more...


4/6/2012 - Spotlight on Sue Menhart - Local Band Review
Read more...


3/31/2012 - Sponging up local musical talent - The Day
Read more...


3/31/2012 - Musicians Jim Weider And Sue Menhart Rock Olde Mistick Village Art Cinema! - Stonington-Mystic Patch
Read more...


2/16/2012 - Sue Menhart and Nancy Parent join musical forces - The Day
Read more...


2/15/2012 - Musician Sue Menhart shares the awesome love story behind her popular ballad, "The Choice" - The Day, Grace Magazine
Read more...


2/13/2012 - CT Rocks! Radio Show Compiles Local-Band CD As Fund-Raiser for WPKN-FM - Hartford Courant
Read more...


1/31/2012 - Local bands on Good Sponge Sampler Vol. 1 - Norwich Bulletin
Read more...


1/31/2012 - Pry Your Ears Open for the Good Sponge Sampler - The Day
Read more...


1/31/2012 - Good Sponge Records Compiles 15 New London-Area Acts on New Sampler - Hartford Courant
Read more...


1/12//2012 - Sue Menhart Band to open for international act Jim Weider (The Band) on his Project Percolator Tour - Olde Mystic Flicks
Read more...


1/7/2012 - Indie-Music.com picks Sue Menhart Band's EP "Forever" as "Top 25 of 2012." Indie-Music.com's prestigious Top 25 is presented each year in January to honor excellence and achievement in independent music.
Read more...


11/23/11 - Live & Local series opens in Mystic - The Day
Read more...


10/26/11 - Two folk musicians for the price of one - New Britain Herald
Read more...


6/16/2011 - Wizards of Weekend call it a Sue Menhart Weekend! - News/Talk 980AM WXLM
Watch...


6/16/2011 - Sue Menhart introduces Forever - The Day
Read more...


6/16/2011 - CD Review: Connecticut's Sue Menhart Gives Us "Forever" - JP's Music Blog
Read more...


6/14/2011 - Sue Menhart interviewed on 89.5 WPKN Bridgeport Connecticut Rocks w/Bob D'Aprile.  Listen to the archive here.


6/11/2011 - "Forever" review - The subtle nature of the record gives it class - WailingCity.com
Read more...


5/23/2011 - CT Singer-Songwriter Sue Menhart to release Forever June 21 - New London Main Street.org
Read more...


5/22/2011 - "Forever" review - I hope this is the breakthrough recording for her - she deserves it - Guitars and Life Blog - Kent, England
Read more...


5/18/2011 - CT Singer-Songwriter Sue Menhart to release “Forever” June 21 - Good Sponge Records
Read more...


4/21/2011 - Sue Menhart Band nominated for a Critics Choice Award in the 2011 Whalie Awards (New London, Connecticut's version of the Grammys). Best Blues/Country Rock Performance for single "One Day in New York." - Wailingcity.com
Read more...


4/21/2011 - Red Hot Stove Tops (Sue Menhart, Daphne Lee Martin, Nancy Brossard Parent) nominated for two Critics Choice Awards in the 2011 Whalie Awards (New London, Connecticut's version of the Grammys).  Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Best Contemporary Folk/Bluegrass Performance for single "Jezebel." - Wailingcity.com
Read more...


4/4/2011 - Blues Singer Sue Menhart Gives Away New Song, 'Die a Hundred Times' - Hartford Courant
Read more...


4/1/2011 - Sue Menhart offering free download of single - Norwich Bulletin
Read more...


3/19/2011 – Sue Menhart Band nominated for two People’s Choice 2011 Whalie Awards (New London, Connecticut’s version of the Grammys) - Best Americana Band and Best Video for "The Choice" – Wailingcity.com
Read more...


2/19/2011 - Review of "The Long Hundred" compilation CD - The Day
"One of the absolute best tunes on the whole collection is 'One Day in New York' by the Sue Menhart Band. What a clever collision of styles: a breezy travelogue that would be welcome in disparate catalogs ranging from Irma Thomas to Babs Streisand."
Read more...


7/8/2010 - Sue Menhart Band plays New London's Sailfest - The Day
"Here are some highlight sets to consider..."
Read more...


5/30/2010 – “Sue Menhart Band triumphant in the Best Americana Performance category” - The Day
Read more...


3/19/2010 – Sue Menhart Band receives four 2010 Whalie Award Nominations (New London, Connecticut's version of the Grammys) for Best Americana Band, Best Americana Performance (Why You Love Me), Song of the Year (Coming Home), and Record of the Year (Gypsy Soul EP) - Wailingcity.com


3/19/2010 - 10 bands from the very fertile New London scene to be on the lookout for in 2010 - New Haven Register
“All-original, get-off-your-barstool-and-boogie blues-and-soul from one of Connecticut’s finest female vocalists and her amazing 'million man' band. These guys get all sorts of recognition, deservedly so, and are in the running to play at the Lilith Fair locally this summer.”
Read more...


3/15/2010 - Sue Menhart Band included on Bridgeport's WPKN 89.5 Connecticut Rocks! - Connecticut Women in Music Special. Listen to the archive here.


2/19/2010 - Listen in: A round-up of local music on disc - The Day
Read more...


1/28/2010 - Sue is Guest DJ on Sirius10/XM 58 E-Street Radio


1/6/2010 - Colchester's Cafe' On Main Rings in the New Year with Hottest Area Entertainment  - The Day
"There’s so many great performers coming back as well: ... The Sue Menhart Band"
Read more...


1/16/2010 - Musician Spotlight Sue Menhart Band - Shoreline Out and About
Read more...


1/6/2010 – “Who is Sue Menhart, Recognized as Being One of Indie-Music's Top 25 for 2010” - CrossHarp Chronicles
Read more...


1/5/2010 – “Indie-Music Names Sue Menhart Band (Blues Rock) One of Best 25 Indie Bands.” - CrossHarp Chronicles
Read more...


1/4/2010 - Indie-Music.com picks Sue Menhart Band song "Why You Love Me" as "Top 25 of 2010."  Indie-Music.com's prestigious Top 25 is presented each year in January to honor excellence and achievement in independent music.
Read more...


12/29/2009 - Sue performs acoustic shows in South Carolina and Georgia


12/20/2009 - Sue's live acoustic performance of "Torn" appears on Sinners Circle Year One CD


10/01/2009 - Sue joins "Sinners Circle" - songwriters in the round - in New London, Conn. - The Day
Read more...


9/10/2009 - "Montville’s Sue Menhart gets discovered” – Montville Times
Read more...


8/25/2009 - Sue is interviewed and performs live on Hartford's WCCC 106.9 The Rock "Sebastian in the Morning"


8/09/2009 - Sue Menhart Band "Choice Cut" and "In-Depth Interview" August '09 - Indie-Music.com
"Today, she has a worldwide fan base and a curriculum vitae that includes two solid albums of her own material, live television and radio appearances and clubs that ask her to come back and play repeatedly."
Read more...


7/15/2009 - SMB nominated as BEST BLUES BAND in the Hartford Advocate Grand Band Slam 2009


6/21/2009 - "One key element that I picked up on while listening to this 4-song set was Menhart’s powerful vocals. Menhart sings in a very gruff-style manner that gives her vocal performance a rough/rugged edge. With all that harshness backed behind her pipes, she also digs deep and finds her soulful spirit. The connection between Sue’s rocker side and emotive side has significant relevance here." - Skope Magazine
Read more...


6/19/2009 - SMB to perform on TimeWarner Cable 6 "Poughkeepsie Live" on July 23


6/6/2009 - "Menhart is a wonderful, natural singer, and the band is tight and equally robust." - Indie-Music.com
Read more...


5/6/2009 - CD Review "Gypsy Soul" - Guitars and Life blog, Kent, England
“Call me an old soft romantic but this one brings goosebumps on the neck and a lump to the throat, brilliant lyrics and a soulful rendition that can't hide the true feelings. The sort of song a talent show winner would overdo the vibrato and overdo the dynamics where here with Sue's slow vibrato and quieter delivery makes for a much more emotional performance."
Read More...


5/1/2009 - SMB is Featured Artist in the May '09 The Venue Newspaper (New England's Premier Arts & Entertainment Newspaper), pg. 8


4/26/2009 - "Gypsy Soul" airs on WPLR New Haven (99 Rock, 99.1) Local Band Show


4/9/2009 - Sue Menhart has the blues - The Day
“Menhart has an increasingly high profile, with a reputation for impassioned tunes and a cyclonic voice that summon echoes of Susan Tedeschi, Janis Joplin and Lucinda Williams.”
Read more...


4/1/2009 - "Gypsy Soul - Emotional filled lyrics, a catchy song in Coming Home" – The Venue Newspaper


4/1/2009 - New EP "Gypsy Soul" available on iTunes


3/31/2009 - 3/8/2009 - SMB Voted into Top 50 bands (out of 800) in Fender Road Worn Competition


3/25/2009 - New EP "Gypsy Soul" available on CDBABY


3/14/2009 - SMB Performs live in 90.9 WCNI Radio Studio to debut new EP "Gypsy Soul"


3/5/2009 - SMB Releases new EP "Gypsy Soul"


2/5/2009 - SMB pre-releases song "Coming Home" off Gypsy Soul album on Fender Road Worn Competition Site


1/21/2009 - SMB to perform "Coming Home" live on a float in the New Haven St. Patrick's Day Parade March 15


11/29/2008 - Sue interviewed on 90.9 WCNI New London for Special Holiday Tribute for the Troops. Watch the live interview and performance here.


10/1/2008 - Sue named Artist of the Month at CTLiveMusic.com.  Listen to the live interview here.  Listen to PART 2 (how Sue writes songs) here.


9/1/2008 - Sue Menhart Band Top Six Nominee for Best Original Rock Band Hartford Advocate Grand Band Slam 2008


7/17/2008 - Sue Menhart Band interviewed live in 90.9 WCNI New London studio


7/3/2008 - Sue Menhart Band Ready for the Spotlight - Montville Times
“Sue Menhart always knew she had a song in her – make that an album full of bluesy rock. In May, the Montville resident and her band produced and issued its first CD. 'Torn' is Menhart’s debut collection of blues-rock songs, written and produced in the past seven months.”


6/25/2008 - Sue Menhart Band offers elixir to work-week – Norwich Bulletin
“The formula for the Sue Menhart Band is a mix of folkish singer/songwriter lyrics paired with a rock sound. Think Jackson Browne meets Journey, or Bob Dylan meets Boston."
Read More...


6/24/2008 - Sue Menhart Band goes digital - Hartford Courant
“After drawing comparisons to Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin while kicking around in local cover bands, powerhouse Connecticut singer Sue Menhart last year started writing original songs, then recruited a band to record them.”
Read More...


6/15/2008 - Sue Menhart Band Featured on New Haven's 99.1 WPLR Local Band Show


6/11/2008 - Sue is Guest DJ on Sirius10/XM 58 E-Street Radio


5/25/2008 - Sue Menhart Band Releases Album "Torn"


5/16/2008 - Sue Interviewed on 104.7 WXLM Lee Elci Show talking about the Norwich Peachtree Apartment Fire Victims benefit