RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rising country artist Peyton Sullivan is preparing for what she calls an “opportunity of a lifetime” as she joins Sugarland on the road, including a stop at Summit Arena at The Monument in Rapid City on Friday, Oct. 16.

Sugarland’s Ride or Die Tour will take the stage at 7 p.m., with Sullivan appearing as the special guest. The Rapid City concert comes as Sullivan finds herself in the middle of a career-changing chapter that connects her childhood love of Sugarland with her own growing career as a songwriter and performer.

Sullivan was born in Florida, raised outside Nashville and now lives in Hawaii. She told Amy Rose and Zach Moon that she has been writing songs since she was 5 years old and later appeared on The Voice, where she was mentored by Blake Shelton.

Her combination of country roots and island life has helped inspire what she calls her “coastal cowgirl” identity.

“I ended up, you know, barefoot with an accent,” Sullivan joked while describing the blend.

After moving to Hawaii, Sullivan learned to surf and began building a musical identity that combines pieces of the places she has called home. She said people have even recognized her in the water as the “coastal cowgirl.”

A Chance Meeting with Kristian Bush

Sullivan’s path to touring with Sugarland began in Hawaii, where she met Sugarland’s Kristian Bush at a songwriting festival.

Sullivan said she was placed in a class with Bush as a mentor and immediately recognized the significance of the opportunity. After playing several songs for him, she began asking questions about the music industry and eventually convinced Bush to produce some of her music.

What began as plans to record two songs quickly grew.

“Two songs turned to four, four songs turned to six,” Sullivan said. The collaboration eventually resulted in a 12-song unreleased album, a project she described as part of the most life-changing year she has experienced.

That relationship has now led Sullivan to the road with the band she grew up listening to.

She recalled hearing songs including “Baby Girl” and “Settlin’” from the backseat of her mother’s car. Now, instead of simply singing along, Sullivan will be opening for Sugarland.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” Sullivan said. “I just want to take every second of it in.”

The tour also marks another milestone: her first time traveling on a tour bus.

From ‘The Voice’ to a New Chapter

Sullivan also reflected on her experience on The Voice and offered some advice for other artists who find themselves in similar competitions.

Rather than treating everyone around them strictly as competition, Sullivan encouraged young performers to build friendships and relationships with fellow musicians.

“Make friends, like connect with people,” she said, explaining that artists can learn from one another while building a community around their music.

That journey has now brought Sullivan full circle in another way.

During the interview, she revealed she had just met Sugarland vocalist Jennifer Nettles for the first time.

Sullivan said Nettles was a childhood hero whose singing influenced her own musical development. Meeting her while preparing to tour together made the experience feel even more surreal.

“You can hear in my music that I was raised on her voice,” Sullivan said. “This is meeting a childhood hero.”

Sullivan also teased the possibility that Rapid City audiences could eventually see her join Sugarland during part of the headlining set, although nothing was confirmed during the interview.

“They said something about that today,” Sullivan said. “Who knows what happens? But I do think maybe I’ll be able to jump out for a little feature on one of those songs.”

What Rapid City Can Expect

For concertgoers unfamiliar with Sullivan, she promises that her live performance will be anything but reserved.

She describes herself as an “Energizer bunny” once she gets onstage, with a performance filled with movement, dancing, humor and high energy.

“Expect super quirky, goofy lyrics,” Sullivan said. “Honestly, it’s just like a reflection of who I am.”

That personality-driven approach will introduce Sullivan to a new audience when she arrives in Rapid City alongside the artists who helped inspire her in the first place.