"Sally, When The Wine Runs Out" by Role Model // Song Review

- March 24, 2025

Role Model, which is the stage name for artist Tucker Pillsbury, has been a steadily rising indie artist for the past few years, with his 2024 sophomore album Kansas Anymore serving as his first major breakthrough of his career. Much of the album is a blend of pop, folk, and country music, which is a growing trend in music in recent years, as well as a departure from the sound of much of his 2022 debut album. Kansas Anymore is a really great album, I can't believe it took me this long to listen to it in its entirety. It feels reminiscent of artists like Noah Kahan, Phoebe Bridgers, and Niall Horan, which is fitting since he worked with some of the same collaborators throughout. His voice has also always reminded me so much of Jesse Rutherford of The Neighbourhood, they share a similar soft tone that is very distinct to both of them as vocalists and songwriters.

Kansas Anymore is an album about navigating heartbreak and finding yourself in the process, he truly captures the raw emotions of love, loss, and self-discovery. "Sally, When The Wine Runs Out" is one of the stand-out songs on the album, which is also among the first of Role Model's songs to gain a lot of traction on social media since its release in February 2025. It is one of four new songs added to the deluxe edition of his sophomore album, titled Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye).

He utilizes classic country storytelling of meeting a girl named Sally at a dive bar, signifying that he's finally ready to move on after feeling lost in the aftermath of a difficult breakup. It's such a fun and modern take on classic country music, I love the way it is so vividly written and really progresses from the narrative of the rest of the album. It has such a light, feel-good vibe to it that is impossible to not get lost in while listening to it.

The bridge of the song is a major highlight, which has gone viral since he first previewed it on TikTok prior to its release. "Aw, shit, here we go again, I'm falling headfirst, ankles hit the two-step, Sally makes my head hurt," he sings. "Heard through the grapevine, she can be a diva, cold like Minnesota, hotter than a fever". His personality shines through in this song so much, which really elevates the entire listening experience.

The four deluxe songs from Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye) are largely a departure from the sadness and heartache of the standard edition of the album. Aptly released on Valentine's Day, it seems that he is now fully ready to close that chapter on that time in his life. The song was co-written and produced with his collaborators Noah Conrad & Harrison Whitford, along with Annika Bennett. In an interview with L'Officiel, Tucker talked about how the release of this deluxe version feels like the start of a new chapter and a time to explore new genres he hasn't before. "I think Kansas Anymore, the actual album, had a country-inspired sound in it," he said. "But then when we were doing the deluxe, I was like, 'I feel like this is my chance to just kind of turn up the twang a little bit and live my dream. I was like, fuck it. It's a deluxe. Let me just play around a little bit…we're putting the kids onto some light country."

The charm of his performance makes this such a stand-out moment from his discography thus far and I can't wait to see where he goes from here. With its captivating storytelling and infectious melody, "Sally, When The Wine Runs Out" is already a major contender for the song of the summer!