Summer Dennis

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Summer Dennis

Interview conducted on Aug. 31, 2020

By Dan Locke

Washington DC-based, soul/funk project, Summer Dennis , announces her single, “Ghetto Rona,” follow up to their latest album, Second Summer. Rhymes have acquired media accolades, including appearances on EARMILK, Soulbounce, Celebmix, Great Day Washington, and Blog Talk Radio. The pair deliver a soulful indictment of America and flip the concept

What is your upbringing?

What is it? Caribbean AF lol. Let’s just say i thought everyone’s mom made curry and in college that’s when i discovered that not all Americans had immigrant parents 😂😂😂

What is plantmomsummeranddogges?

I made a separate personal Instagram for the plants and the doggos. I’m a dog mom and a crazy plant lady. I love it here in my dog rainforest lol

How did you discover music?

My mom used to take me to her rehearsals. She was in a Christian singing group and they actually did a few albums. They sang in 3- and 4-part harmony and i basically learned to harmonize at their rehearsal

How did you and Rhymes discover each other?

I used to be in his band. His bass player at the time named Tony actually asked my sister and i to be in his cover band. We eventually talked about making our own music and it worked out because really, we were the only ones who gave each other a chance to work with each other. DC is pretty stuck up and when i sent him my song ideas and he learned them and played them for me 2 days later, i was shocked. Nobody ever learned my music. So that was cool.

How did you start to write music?

I used to write to escape in high school. I played the piano in the health room every morning and used what i learned in my piano lessons to try to make my own melodies.

What was your first performance at like?

I was in the children’s choir when I was a little girl. I distinctly remember performing the lead role of Daniel in a really long play rendition of the Bible story “Daniel in the Lion’s Den”. My mom played the play reference in the car all the time and i just learned everyone’s lines and did it in front of the church. I was like 5 lol

What was the title of your first original song?

Save Me from complacency

Did you record it?

No lol

How did you start the band?

We were trying to do a multicultural funk band situation but it’s just me now, singing Bill (Rhymes) songs lol. People don’t care enough about music to be in bands anymore.

How did you get the name Queen Summer?

Lol it’s just Summer but when we had the bands i was the only girl, so Bill always called me the Queen. Lol. It’s just summer, but Facebook won’t let me change it. Mark Z is real annoying for that lol. It was a silly inside joke and now it has to be my permanent Facebook name 🙄

If you could perform with anyone, who would it be?

Beyoncé

Tell me about the track “Ghetto Rona”?

We wrote that during the early stages of quarantine. I really wanted to talk about how ghetto this country had become, since after losing reproductive rights, the EPA, and healthcare, we couldn’t even go outside to breathe air anymore. This whole country is ghetto as hell now.

You just released a single called “You and Me”. Can you tell me about the backstory of the song?

After writing ghetto Rona, i wanted to release something simple and happy with a video that showed the beauty of black women and black love. Black women are the most oppressed and least protected demographic on planet earth, and i wanted to show a video with beautiful dark-skinned women to celebrate us for once.

How long before a new album comes out?

October!

How do you stay healthy while performing?

Lol at healthy. I was an NCAA D1 gymnast and my injuries were largely neglected… so I have several chronic injuries that will never completely heal. I go to physical therapy 2x a week for pain management and I also use herbal cleanses to cut the bulk. I’m also a pescatarian unless my iron is low.

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

I love the freedom of being able to have access to soooo much music

Digital vs. vinyl?

I do love vinyl but the clarity of digital is a beautiful quality of sound as well. Don’t do this to me lol

Do you feel that the Me-Too Movement has helped female performers?

I don’t know. I’ve seen it benefit actresses but I’m not sure about singers. We still gotta do something strange for some change around here lmao

What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?

America must end its nightmarish, cruel treatment of black people. It’s time for accountability and While i have to stay in especially because of my injuries, i support black lives matter. My black life matters. I lift up black women in their fight for equality in a world who hates them and as women

What is the mental health situation of the United State? How can the public help the doctors and nurses on the front line?

From what i can see, everyone’s mental health is suffering. I’ve been in strange altercations of desperation that have been violent, sexual, and financially by nature since the pandemic started. It’s scary, people’s backs are against the wall and they’re making hard or poor decisions.

My mother is a nurse and while she is working from home on the phones, she is hearing firsthand about the dangers that her counterparts and their patients experience. PEOPLE NEED TO WEAR A DAMN MASK AND STAY INSIDE!!! Period!!! So many healthcare workers are dying because people want to act like the armpit of society. Newsflash! A pandemic doesn’t care about your personal entitlement issues! I’ve never been more disgusted with humanity in my life. It’s just horrifying that there are so many people who will not commit to taking responsibility for their fellow man.

Do you think kids should go back to school his fall?

9000 kids got infected in Florida last week trying to go back to school. I mean this is literally a no-brainer. The correct answer to this question requires no brain.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?

I sang Voyage to Atlantis on my story the other day. The chorus just keeps saying “I’ll always come back to you…” it’s really haunting and i just think of how many people said this… and how lonely I am now lmao.

How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

Well there’s so little resource to go around considering the millions unemployed. I am not sure who can afford to pay for a gig besides the royals. I’m talking about the 1 percent. Us peasants will probably only have work entertaining the royals.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

Crying. Writing songs.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

I was already a plant lady but it’s gotten really jungle some in here. I have like 230 plants and no regrets lmaoooo

95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. Which is your favorite streaming channel?

I actually don’t do channels. I watch Whitney movies, Amy, and crime shows. TV gives me big anxiety

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You did a couple of live sessions called “Go Live with Summer Dennis” How did this come to be?

Well, Bill loves to perform live and I was really trying to grow in my performance, so when I saw other people doing streams, I knew I had to ASAP. It’s been great for us. I actually sang and danced in the last one but we didn’t prerecord my vocals (we never do) and I’m not sure if people understand how hard that is… next time I will definitely look less nervous lol.

Live Nations just started Live Nation from Home. Which are concerts from artist homes. An all-new virtual music hub keeping fans connected to their favorite artists featuring daily live streams, performances, new music and more. Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?

If all the other humans can make a living it’s possible. We can’t have a viable economy when trump and his friends stole all the resources and decided not to give us adequate paycheck relief so I’m not sure if ANYONE will be living that much longer, let alone making a living lmaoooooo

For smaller bands who do not play large crowds, this is not really an issue. How do you see bands going back to smaller venues and doing things like play for the door, with no guarantees?

I’m not sure. It’s like the Wild Wild West right now and it’s giving me a headache. I just want to successfully live through 2020: Orange Apocalypse

In addition, at the present time for a band to go on tour from one state to another, they may need to self-quarantine for 14 days. How is that going to work?

I mean i don’t really have that many visitors anyway so I’m fine with that. Book me!

With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it may be the end of music fest for the next couple of years?

Sadly yes, as you can see

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Oh, wow that would be really cool!

How do you see yourself in the next five years?

Rich, famous, but still introverted. I will probably live in a huge house with like 15 dogs, 4 llamas, some turtles, and whole bunch of plants. Tons of pink synonyms and n joy Pathos plants lollllll.

Anything you would like to say in closing?