Q&A: Young Summer Has Found Liberation in Vulnerability With Latest Single “Make Waves”
IT CAN BE EMPOWERING TO LET GO — Nashville’s indie-pop songstress Young Summer is finding that out. Through dreamy, psychedelic production, she’s releasing her inhibitions and giving into the thrilling feeling of romance in “Make Waves.”
The recently released single sweeps listeners off their feet as they enter a technicolor wonderland expressed in lush melodies draped in charming vocals.
“When you hit the background vocals and its layered harmonies, it is this thing where your muscles can now be relaxed,” Young Summer explains about the song. It is a track that does more than narrate these newfound feelings in lyrical content. Young Summer's attention to sonic details allows listeners to immerse themselves entirely.
As an artist, she’s found herself aware of the strength of sound — even its power to inspire visual depictions. She collaborated with Jeremiah Dunlap from the production team Foundry Mass, and they brought whimsy to the “Make Waves” corresponding video. It began with listening to the second verse and hearing a filter reminiscent of a stereo submerged in water. Then came an homage to the classic film monsters, complete with a dapper sea creature and charming dance montage.
“Make Waves” has set the scene for the cinematic soundscape Young Summer’s sophomore album will convey later this fall. As we wait for the project, read below as she tells us more about her new single, making the music video, and working on the upcoming album.
LUNA: You describe the song as this euphoric feeling you get when letting go. What was it like figuring out how to portray that feeling sonically?
YOUNG SUMMER: This record represents these psychedelic elements — there are synths and there's a Mellotron. These beautifully layered harmonies and background vocals are reminiscent of doo-wop. That, to me, is like… when you hit the background vocals and its layered harmonies — it’s this thing where your muscles can now be relaxed when you hear lush support in the production, and the musicality lets you let go. So it felt perfect, lyrically — it felt like I had gotten there. Then sonically, it also did it, which is always the goal.
LUNA: It does feel like this sense of release. The concept of letting go, I know, is a hard one for all of us. How has it been trying to let go and have this sentiment carry over into your music?
YOUNG SUMMER: It’s so funny because the songs, because of COVID, were a little delayed. As the person who wrote it, I'll go back — I'm like, it means even more now. Especially out of the pandemic, we’re thrown back into work and the adjustment period. It means more to me now, the idea of being like, “I'm going to try.” I want to make waves. It's this real effort. It means more, and it feels more meaningful.
LUNA: We must talk about this music video, which I love. What made you want to express these themes in this visual?
YOUNG SUMMER: There's a filter in the second verse — it sounds like you're taking a boombox and putting it underwater. It was the water element. And then, I love horror movies — I love the old monsters. I was thinking it would be so fun if it's tongue-in-cheek because I grew up with MTV videos. I had this opportunity to have my personality come through more.
My friends have the production company Foundry Mass. Instead of us having to learn a dance, it was like, “Let’s do a montage.” It was these beautiful little fluid movements that we could then add together. That was like White Christmas, [which] has this beautiful dance sequence, and Singin' in the Rain. All these inspirations kind of crept in, and it was so fun. Styling it, we did an homage to 50s monster movies with the white bathing suit. It turned out better than I ever could have imagined.
LUNA: You’re a person who pays attention to how the sounds could mimic something visually. Will these whimsical themes continue as you release more visuals and upcoming singles?
YOUNG SUMMER: If I could do a video for every song, I would. We’ll see if I can keep doing it. The whole record feels cinematic in the kind of soundscape. I love to balance music that you wouldn't necessarily put with a song that has a sad theme. It is kind of like sneaking vegetables into a chocolate cake.
It is such a fun challenge. If I can have this comfort of the production, kind of not mask it — the sad theme or whatever the very raw, emotional, honest thing that's being expressed — it just helps me be more honest.
LUNA: You are about to release your sophomore album in the fall. So what kind of stories are you going to be telling?
YOUNG SUMMER: I am so proud of this record. I feel like, as a writer, there are topics that you’ll approach and try to write about but didn't get there — I got close. Because to me, writing a song and having a specific theme you want to discuss is like taking a picture on film in the right light at the right angle. I feel that I accomplished doing that with each topic.
There's a song on the record called “You Make Dying Fun.” There are times when, you know, things can be grim. There’s the state of the world, and it can feel all-consuming and insurmountable. A theme throughout the record is that the most rebellious thing you can do in the face of things like that is to choose to remain hopeful.
If you put it on and you don’t listen to any of the lyrics, it still makes you feel good.
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