Suzanne Santo

Suzanne Santo, recognized as a vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, first rose to prominence through her involvement with the respected Americana ensemble HONEYHONEY and later pursued an independent path. Born Suzanne Alisa Santosuosso on January 20, 1985, in Cleveland, Ohio, she initially explored modeling and acting, with roles that included guest spots on Law & Order, Without a Trace, and Medium. Her introduction to Ben Jaffe occurred at a costume party in Venice, California, during 2006, where an immediate personal and creative connection prompted them to collaborate, Jaffe handling piano, guitar, and vocals while Santo contributed vocals, banjo, and violin. Known at first as Zanzibar Lewis, the pair performed together for roughly a year prior to securing a deal with Ironworks, the imprint established by Jude Cole and Kiefer Sutherland. Upon adopting the name HONEYHONEY, they issued their debut album, First Rodeo, in 2008, though a three-year gap followed before the 2011 release of Billy Jack on the roots-oriented Lost Highway label, which ceased operations under its parent company Universal shortly afterward. After switching management, completing several economical tours, and funding their next project themselves, Jaffe and Santo delivered the album 3 via Rounder Records in 2015. Amid continued activity that included composing material for the television comedy The Guest House, Santo issued her solo debut Ruby Red in 2017. Butch Walker, who had featured her as a guest musician on his 2016 album Stay Gold, produced the record, which revealed a more introspective and shadowed dimension of her artistry.