With every changing season, we're bestowed with a unique and ever-changing theme; fall with its harvest colors and a sense of cleansing, Winter with its snow submerged street corners and melancholy, and spring with rejuvenation in the air. But it's Summer, the period that interjects some utopia into our lives before fading away into the glow of autumn, that Halle Abadi was inspired by for "Summersong."
This cycling of emotion that we all experience year-round is translated perfectly in this song and the long time denizen in our top five playlists has nailed the summer vibes on "Summersong."
Notwithstanding the hazy vibraphone chimes and the vocals' electric gliding presence, the production isn't as laid back as it first implies. Almost as if it's breathing, the mix incorporates a voluptuous earthy rhythm section and introduces a room bowing bass against a clear high-end, as the vocal harmonics cascade across the atmosphere of this track. It all feels well thought out, using a dynamic orchestration between vocals and synths. The chorus sings like a hypnotic mantra, as the track unveils similar to a love letter: "Don't wanna miss out on the things you do, the way you move, the way the city sets my heart on fire," it's a clever passion story that is relatable to all.
"Summersong" is an exotic twist on some of contemporary dance music's long tradition of making songs about "shaking what you got." Still, this one plays like a top forty hit while also serving as a soothing mechanism for the anxiety we feel when summer passes. It is a welcoming reminder that with each season that comes and goes, none hold a place in our hearts as novel as summertime.
You've been working as an artist and producer for some time now. What has been the most distinguishing milestone for you at this point in your career?
Halle & C-Ray - We’ve hit so many milestones that we’ve set for ourselves and each one feels more special than the last. Our most distinguished thus far would actually be towards the beginning of our journey when our 2nd single “Pandora’s Box” was picked up by a Spotify editorial playlist. It was such an incredible feeling to have that type of validity and so early in our growth! From that moment on, we knew that we were on our way to create special music as an artist/producer tandem. Our goals are set high and we’re excited to hit certain milestones, so we like to think our most distinguishing one is still somewhere ahead of us.
When you think about the other producers categorized by the same musical niche as you do feel inspired? Do you recognize them as inspirations or influencers in your artistic journey or the competition?
C-Ray - I see other producers most definitely as inspirations. The amount of talent in the world is unreal! When I started producing music 20 years ago (I’m aging myself here), we only heard of the names that made headlines like Timbaland (my biggest influence FYI), Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, etc. No social media, no access to content via the web, you name it. There are days I get lost in scrolling through my IG timeline watching beat making videos. It’s truly awesome to see so much creative drive. The only competition I have is an internal one. I’m determined to keep growing and my hunger for knowledge within the music field is larger than ever before.
If you could collaborate with anyone currently in the music scene, who would you choose to do it with, and why?
In a dream world, I would love to work with John Mayer. He’s my ultimate musical and lyrical inspiration. Some artists who also inspire me are Olivia O’Brien and King Princess. I love that all these artists are incredibly honest in their lyrics and don’t always sing about things that aren’t mundane and unromantic; they have a sense of realism in their music.
What are the next steps for you? Are you planning on releasing an extended play or maybe collaborating with someone in an adjacent genre?
The next steps are to keep releasing new records that are consistently better than the last and to push boundaries with every release. We are planning on releasing an extended play very soon, I’m excited to release it and share it with everyone! As for collaborations, I’m extremely interested in and open to collaborating with other artists.
What's keeping you inspired? What's some advice you can give other artists who are struggling right now?
I’m not exactly able to find inspiration these days the way I could pre-quarantine. As of late, I haven’t been able to go out and make new experiences, and initially, I felt that it stunted my creativity and my ability to write. However, I’ve found that quarantine has been helpful in allowing me to rethink certain aspects of my life and it’s given me an opportunity to work on myself. I’ve been able to process some of my older experiences and that processing and rethinking has truly rekindled my creativity. To other artists who are struggling right now; I feel it’s common to experience writer’s block and not just during a pandemic. If I were to give any advice, it’d be to give yourself some time. Listen to some new music, maybe something you wouldn’t normally listen to. And lastly, give yourself time to process things you haven’t been able to in the past. It’ll help you rethink your own story and maybe give you some ideas on how you want to tell it.