SUMMER HOOP – AN INTERVIEW WITH THE RISING STAR
By Ralph Beauchamp
Summer Hoop is a rising star based out of Florida. Her music carves sonic wedges in the dark-pop universe. Her sound balances illusionary textures with intimate storytelling which in turn creates atmospheric waterfalls of divine depth. Summer Hoop has just released her latest single entitled “Mindlessly” via Oxide Music. The song has a raw edge yet still maintains a rhythmic beauty with melodic vocals and an emotional feel.
What sets Summer Hoop apart from the fray is the fact that her music offers a central duality. While her songs deliver beautiful restraints and artistic space there are moments of dramatic mayhem. She uses moody soundscapes and dynamic vocals to turn her lyrics into emotive fireballs. The expanse Summer Hoop resides in is the darker side of pop yet her music still feels attainable and relevant. She easily turns inner conflict into something immersive and poignant. Summer Hoop is definitely an artist worth watching.
Summer Hoop was kind enough to sit with AMP for this interview.
AMP: What drew you to darker sonic textures rather than a more traditional pop sound?
SUMMER: I grew up on pop punk and emo music. The first bands I loved were My Chemical Romance, The Used, Fall Out Boy, and Paramore. It was never going to be traditional pop, I just can’t help but write lyrics and melodies in a very pop way for some reason. But hey, I think it works out. What even is a traditional pop sound nowadays? Everything feels blended.
AMP: How do you balance cinematic production with intimate songwriting?
SUMMER: If we’re talking in a visual sense, I would say I just try to not put myself in a box even if the songs have a specific or fragile message. Sonically, I would say there are literally no rules to anything, I love massive bands who do massive things and still connect deeply with their audience. There’s always room to make more intimate content on the back end to try to connect with people.
AMP: What role does atmosphere play in your music?
SUMMER: I love listening to songs by artists that I like and in my head I’m visualizing the world that they are trying to paint with the music. I like to do the same, it’s like leading the horse to water with different sounds, expressions, progressions so then when they get there the horse is thirsty to DRINK. I have no idea if that makes sense.
AMP: Your music often creates vivid emotional landscapes. How do you translate feelings into lyrics and production?
SUMMER: I just start ripping sentences and my feelings when I’m alone. There’s always melodies in my head, so I figure out what I’m trying to say and how straight forward or symbolic I want to be. I’m lucky to have great collaborators on the production side who can help build the world with me and figure out what feeds the song the best. It’s trial and error, but most of the time comes together pretty quickly.
AMP: Do you think mystery is an important facet of your musical persona?
SUMMER: I like artists with mystery to them. It’s nice to keep things elusive sometimes, but I also feel like that can be hard to do nowadays with so much being thrown at the wall online and people searching for real human connection. I’m jealous of the people in masks. I want to wear a mask.
AMP: Your new single is “Mindlessly”. Can you give us a little insight into the track?
SUMMER: I was comparing my devotion for getting the attention of somebody I liked to the feeling that they were a cult leader and I would’ve simply done anything they said. Some people have a certain something that makes me lose my morals and better judgement. The post chorus “dadadadada” was the first melody I had and it was so catchy to me that I walked around singing it over and over again till I put it in a song.
AMP: We recently interviewed another rising star from Florida, Nep, What is in the water in the state that creates such bad-assed women?
SUMMER: I couldn’t tell you. I mean I have to ASSUME there are just bad ass women everywhere, right? Women are incredible. My friends here who are musicians are all amazing women. Maybe we just rise up from the unbearable heat and off putting people and become unstoppable.
AMP: How does your music change when you perform live?
SUMMER: A lot of the more “pop” elements hit harder live because we have a real drum kit, so instead of doing certain samples or electronic drums, I just let my drummer rip. I will also sing things differently or with more intention depending on the vibe. You get to hear fun little stories about the songs, it’s the best part of the job.
AMP: What’s the most unexpected source of inspiration you’ve ever turned into a song?
SUMMER: Oh god. When I was working with Johnny Franck (Bilmuri), we were writing and he asked me if I would ever sign to a label. I told him I would literally sign my life away for a Big Mac and a small fry. Then, we wrote this song about me signing my life away and moving to a big city and becoming the worst person ever. Just a comedic look at my future, it’s called “sell my soul for fries”, it’s very camp but I like being tongue in cheek and doing whatever it low key is pretty banging hahah.
AMP: Which artists or producers have had the biggest influence on your sound?
SUMMER: Legacy bands influence my lyric writing, like Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance. I just want to write compelling and interesting lyrics. WHICH DOESN’T ALWAYS HAPPEN OKAY I’M NOT CLAIMING TO ALWAYS HIT. It’s a goal though.
Austin Coupe is somebody I work with that I just have so much admiration for. He’s SO talented and has made my favorite songs thus far, “Mindlessly” being one of them. I think I’m just a melting pot of every alt/rock/pop artist I’ve ever liked, I take little pieces of things I admire and try to apply it to my own expression.
Views: 0
