Rising singer-songwriter Syante moved to the U.S. from India two years ago, knowing no one. When she found herself stranded with a dead cell phone battery in Los Angeles, a stranger offered her a ride. This unexpected act of kindness inspired “A Little Sunshine,” a song about the strength of community and compassion.
The song, which is available on all major streaming platforms, won first place in the Perfect Stranger Songwriting Contest, a music competition celebrating young artists aged 18-24 whose work reflects unity and positive social change.
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Syante was accompanied on the track by musicians such as Laurence Juber (Wings, Rockestra), Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty), and Jorgen Carlsson (Gov’t Mule).
The Perfect Stranger Songwriting Contest was hosted by veteran folk artist Jesse Colin Young and nonprofit label Future Youth Records, in partnership with Taylor Guitars and Sound & Vision Magazine. The contest was launched to honor the re-release of Young’s 1982 album The Perfect Stranger.
Syante’s song stood out for its heartfelt storytelling and powerful themes of trust and connection. “That experience made me reflect on how rare it is to trust strangers, and I wrote this song as a reflection of that moment, and a wish for a world where we can feel connected to, and trust, even those we don’t know,” she says.
Syante co-produced “A Little Sunshine” with Youngbloods frontman Young—who helped immortalize the ideals of the Woodstock generation with the international hit and call for peace “Get Together.”. Future Youth Records founder and executive director Jason Wall also co-produced the song.
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