6.4: Sweet Honey in the Rock - Breaths (1988)

Deeper Cuts

Music runs deep and has the power to enlighten, educate, and empower. This doesn’t have to be a didactic thing and the best of it isn’t. Great songs can do all of those things as one listens and enjoys them. It does all that at the soul level. Music is weird – and sometimes very, very sneaky.

Shannon connected with the world of acapella from her time in college, solidifying her well-earned status as theater and choir kid. All the while, the music of Sweet Honey in the Rock and their album Breaths was a stalwart influence to change her perspective on what acapella music could be. It introduced the idea of protest and politics in acapella music – a new idea for her as a young music-maker. So, how did the Deeper Cuts trio react? Did the album take our breaths away, or was it a battle for our lives? Do the thing with the clicking to listen.

You can come back to all the songs sung this season thanks to our Spotify Playlist which covers every episode, as well as the recently completed miniseries, The Live Sessions. And don’t forget to talk to us on Twitter (@deepercutscast) and to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts!