About
Dee Sutton, an Americana singer-songwriter from West Michigan, creates an eclectic sound that weaves together various musical genres from the salty swing of gypsy jazz to the old timey bounce of traditional American country music. Dee’s music feels like a conversation with an old friend—her songs transport listeners across time and space, speaking to the traveler, the dreamer, the loner and the lover, capturing the heart of a world steeped in tradition while pushing the boundaries of genre.
Dee’s captivating performances and songwriting has found her sharing stages with renowned acts such as Peter Rowan, The Steeldrivers, and Wayne Hancock. She can be seen often performing with her band, The Wild Honeys, which includes a rotating cast of hot pickers from the midwest including Sallie Bacon on bass, Drew Howard and Justin Wierenga on Steel and Guitar, Brian Oberlin on mandolin, & Brian Ferriby on drums.
Dee’s songwriting was globally recognized in 2011 with her former bands’ debut album, Midnight Cattle Callers, being named “Album of the Month” by UK's Country Music Magazine, setting the stage for Dee’s ascent into the Americana scene. After taking an 11 year hiatus and remerging with a new album, Alone Again, released in July 2025, she received the 2026 WYCE Jammie's award for Best Americana Album. Dee is not slowing down anytime soon, she just released a new single, King of America, with another single set ti be released before the end of the year, and an album on the way.
Rather than a fixed lineup, The Wild Honeys exists as a rotating cast of musicians from across the region. Each performance takes on its own character, shaped by the players in the room. Some nights lean raw and stripped-down; others expand into something louder, fuller, and unpredictable.
Sallie has played with various symphony orchestras in her home state of Georgia, as well as the West Michigan Symphony, along with many other small chamber groups. Sallie
loves to play all kinds of music, and recently has been exploring more jazz, bluegrass, folk, and honky tonk. Other projects include playing with the Michigan Mandolin Orchestra, and duo shows with husband and mandolinist Brian Oberlin. Recent highlights have been playing for the Tenor Guitar Gathering in Astoria, Oregon, and joining Sweet Dee and The Wild Honeys.
Drew Howard is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist with almost 50 years of stage, session and music production experience in multiple genres. Performances range across the US to Western Europe, from Alaska to Amsterdam, Copenhagen to Chicago, New York to New Orleans. Appearances on over 136 album releases. Production and session experience also includes national and regional TV and radio ad campaigns for Meijer, Michelin, GM, Ford, etc. In 2010 Drew was honored with a Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Country Instrumentalist, and nominated again in 2014 and 2017. Published by BMG. Drew teaches private music lessons and class instruction for MSU Community Music School, Elderly Instruments, Wheatland Music Organization and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Learn more about Drew here
Brian Oberlin is an internationally acclaimed mandolin player and educator from Grand Rapids, Michigan. During his decades long professional career, Brian has been playing swing, bluegrass, originals and classical as a solo mandolinist and vocalist and has many projects, including the Michigan based bluegrass band Full Cord. Learn more at https://brianoberlin.com/
Justin Wierenga is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, band leader and session musician with a primary focus in guitar, pedal/lap steel guitar, and dobro. After playing professionally for over a decade in many styles of music, from country and bluegrass, to rock, metal, funk, jazz, reggae, new age and world music, Wierenga has forged a unique, singular voice for himself whether he be playing lap/pedal steel/bass or regular guitars, or any of the numerous instruments he plays. Learn more here https://justinwierenga.weebly.com/