“I’m having a sad girl summer.”
How did you get started in music?
I’ve been making music for as long as I can remember. I’m from Maryland, and I moved to Nashville in 2018 for college, where I got into the Nashville indie scene. From there, I eventually moved to New York. I used to make music that leaned into indie rock but now, I’m in my pop era. I also got into production and started producing for others, and now I’m producing for myself.
What is “Hot Summer” about?
“Hot Summer” is like my summer anthem. It’s about being depressed in the summertime.
How was fully self-producing this track like?
It was kind of lonely. Recording has always been such a collaborative process for me, so making music alone in my room felt really different. I think it’s harder to find inspiration and have the discipline to sit down and work when there’s no one else around.
But at the same time, you can really get into it and focus in a way you can’t when you’re in a room full of people. Both processes are very different. It’s been interesting learning more about myself-how my creative process works and what I want it to look like moving forward.
With this track, I had someone come in to play drums and someone else to play bass. They tracked those parts, and it honestly made me feel better. It was fun, and they helped me through the process. Coming from indie rock, I’ve started drawing inspiration from a lot of new things I’ve been listening to lately.
What ice cream flavor would this song be?
The red, white, and blue rocket pop!
What’s nostalgic to you about summer?
I’m also in my biker era right now, which plays a big part in Hot Summer. It feels really nostalgic to me-I grew up biking a lot as a kid. Even certain albums, like Parachutes by Coldplay, bring back that same nostalgic feeling.
In the summer, we’d sit on the porch and my dad would sing for us, and we’d all sing along. He had his five token songs that he always played, and those are especially nostalgic for me. A few of them were “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor, “Bad Reputation” by Freedy Johnston, and “Angel from Montgomery” by John Prine-just to name a few.
What are some emerging artists to watch this summer?
Corrina, Ana Justen, Lily Talmer, Daphne Browdy, Hudson Freeman, Abigayle Oakley.