Sandy seeks out the good during hard times with ‘Tunnel at the End of the Light’

Teenage multi-hyphenate artist and creative from Long Island releases new self-directed music video on Tuesday, February 17

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LONG ISLAND, N.Y. [February 17, 2026] – There’s an age-old debate in the arts about whether a great entertainer is born or made. Natural talent is often a prerequisite for success, but so is drive, determination, and the willingness to hone a craft and invest countless hours far from the emerging spotlight.

Sandy Skye Netburn checks the boxes of both categories – and does so with a laugh that can be both innocently sweet and a little bit maniacal. The teenage multi-hyphenate from Long Island last fall released her theatrical debut album, Issues, complete with a colorful and collectible lyric book, on her 18th birthday.

And now the young singer, songwriter, guitarist, ventriloquist, and producer – who exudes a vibe that is a little bit Carol Burnett, a little bit Noah Kahan, and a whole lot of just herself – readies a new music video for “Tunnel at the End of the Light,” set for release on Tuesday, February 17.

The new visual, directed, filmed, and edited by Netburn herself, depicts her in a loving, symbiotic relationship with her guitar, displaying a playful sense of intimacy and longing as a gentle white light dances between them. A tender ballad with a big, arena-ready chorus that begs a large-gathering sing-along and enormous-sounding background vocals that elevate its aura to a higher plain, “Tunnel at the End of the Light” showcases just one of the many sides to the rising artist.

“This song is WIDELY open to interpretation,” Netburn admits, “but I wrote it about finding the good in hard times. Despite there always being another struggle, it’s important to look for the optimism.”

While the song itself came together quickly, with Netburn simultaneously writing and recording it at the same time, adding the backing vocals as a finishing touch, the video is a little bit more deliberate. The visual is filled with Easter eggs and visual clues that give a proper glimpse into Netburn’s creative world, from a quick cameo of one of her favorite comedians to a familiar haunt she’s been performing at frequently over the years.

“I really want my audience to be able to see my motivations and what makes me happiest; I think the story in this video particularly highlights that!” she adds. “And not to sound too corny, but the storyline shows my deepest love, and how they’ve always been around, every scenario, every high and low, and how important that is to have in life, no matter where a person finds it.”

Audiences have been finding Netburn on the stage and screen with increasing frequency. The “Tunnel at the End of the Light” video arrives ahead of a string of Massachusetts appearances. She returns to the NorthEast ComicCon & Collectibles Extravaganza’s “Cabin Fever” weekend at The Regency Hotel in Boxborough, Massachusetts from March 13 to 15, performing all three days.

Not too long after, she performs live at The Burren in Somerville on March 24 for the Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out, a collaborative showcase of varied voices and talents inspired by James Sullivan’s book, Which Side Are You On?: 20th Century American History in 100 Protest Songs, with the event hosted and organized by the respected Boston Globe journalist.

Issues, a 14-track record of acoustic, solo, Americana folk-pop protest songs with whipsmart lyricisms, wry wit, and a magnetic allure, as well as her new line of music videos, position Netburn as a modern 21st-century girl with a retro-minded old soul that’s obsessed with ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s pop culture.

Whether she’s crafting pitch-perfect folk songs with a rebellious bite and effortless melody, practicing her burgeoning ventriloquism act, or interviewing celebrities for her Sandy & Friends video podcast on YouTube, this teenager simply knows she was born to be an entertainer.

“I have always loved creating and performing,” Netburn says. “For as long as I can remember, I just always wanted to entertain. It almost feels like I NEED to… I can’t go without it. So I explored, and I continue to explore, and found I love so much about the arts. I feel like that is where I belong.”

And the growing network around her agrees. Already counting the likes of The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz and The Runaways’ Cherie Currie as fans (the later of whom pulled Netburn up to perform “Cherry Bomb” at the 2023 NorthEast ComicCon), and with a growing interview slate that includes chats with Lawrence Gowan of Styx; Air Supply’s Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell; and actors like Christopher Knight and Danny Bonaduce, the multi-media world around her is constantly expanding.

On record and on stage she may just be a girl and a guitar, tackling topical social commentary and emotional exploration, and doing so with a sense of humor that belies her age, but inside Netburn’s creative headspace is a whole world just aching to break free. Issues, the album, is the ticket to join the party.

“I was very nervous initially, being this is my very first time sharing songs that I created to an audience other than family,” Netburn says, “but it’s so wonderful now that they are OUT there, being able to play them live and getting to perform as the different characters on the album.”

Netburn notes that the songs that comprise Issues all came about in different ways, with some based on emotions that built up inside of her, and others based on things she’s seen as a teenager in the chaotic and uneven 2020s, where young adults must come of age in a very public digital world. Lyrical inspiration is plentiful, as she surveys the world around her through the lens of a teenager, and adds a dramatic, theatrical dynamic that allows the listeners to feel as if they are sitting right beside her as she performs.

“It all just depends on where I am emotionally, and whether or not I’m writing based on experience or just based on things I’ve seen out in the wild,” she adds. “But I would say most of my lyrics come from a very sarcastic, satirical place in my mind.”

We all need to be a little bit sarcastic and satirical these days, and Netburn certainly doesn’t mind playing the part. Armed with just her acoustic guitar and a reflection of the world around her, Issues plays out in kaleidoscopic color with each lyric grabbing a tighter hold than the next, her narrative tongue both forked and curved depending on the scene of her rhyme.

Lead single “I’ve Got Issues” offers an instant introduction to her musical alchemy, dissecting all those pesky little so-called “issues” that tend to make her crazy in her day-to-day life. The bluesy, groove-leaden “Not Another One Like Me” was written for a special someone in admitting no one would be crazy enough to put up with their actions and behavior. The upbeat cautionary tale “Madness Wins” dissects the inner workings of creating chaos from the perspective of the villain, and how with so much information at our fingertips and on our phones and on the television, we rarely know what is good and what is evil anymore.

Elsewhere, the emotional “Take it from the Top” is about pushing back against authorities forcing us to conform (“I believe people should do what is best for them,” Netburn admits, “this song was written to make people feel empowered.”). And tracks like “Like The Government Does,” “Hell Throws The Best Parties,” and “Bored of Education” are rife with the type of expressive lyricisms and witticisms that are destined to go from high school seniors’ yearbook quotes to social media posts to maybe even someone’s tattoo.

At the end of the day, Netburn is just being who she is. That colorful spectrum is on display across the album, all her videos, and while she performs on stage. With Issues out into the world, and a growing audience appreciating her every move, Sandy’s Skye Netburn’s story is just getting started.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” she says of the early reaction to her music. “These songs were just ideas that I figured would never see the outside of my head… when they did, I was sure they’d never leave my basement. Now people are listening and talking to me about something I’ve created. It’s so incredible. And I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Media Contact:
Direct press inquiries to Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com.
Contact Sandy Netburn via manager Gary Sohmers at garysohmers@gmail.com.