Country meets classic poetry in an unexpected and beautifully crafted collaboration between Sara Evans and Grammy-winning songwriter Marcus Hummon. The longtime creative partners — best known for co-writing Evans’ career-defining hit “Born to Fly” — are back together with a brand-new release: “I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed.” And this time, they’re channeling the timeless brilliance of 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson.
Drawn from Hummon’s critically praised project Songs for Emily, the track reimagines Dickinson’s vivid and metaphor-rich poetry through a rich country music lens. “I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed” captures the feeling of being swept up in nature’s overwhelming beauty — and according to Hummon, there was only one voice that could bring that message to life. “Sara communicates joy in a way few others can,” he says. “Her voice taps into the playful, yet deeply spiritual nature of Dickinson’s words.”
For Evans, the project hits close to home. “Emily was a strong, female voice — and that matters,” she says. “Just like Dolly and Loretta gave women like me a path in songwriting, Emily gave women a literary legacy. She was funny, smart, and mischievous. I try to capture those same layers in my music.” Their chemistry, sharpened by decades of creative partnership, shines brightly on this poetic and soul-stirring track.
The collaboration follows Hummon’s earlier release, “Letter to the World” (with Darrell Scott), and adds another powerful chapter to the Songs for Emily initiative — a musical homage to Dickinson’s timeless words, fused with Americana and country roots. The full-length LP is slated for release later this year on 3686 Records, an indie label founded by Hummon’s son, artist Levi Hummon.
With a star-studded cast that also includes Mary Chapin Carpenter (“I Dwell in Possibility”) and interpretations of Dickinson’s most beloved poems, including “Hope Is the Thing with Feathers” and “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” this project is shaping up to be one of the year’s most intriguing musical-literary crossovers.
Poetry fans, country lovers, and anyone drawn to the beauty of language and music — this one’s for you.