Summer Banton is a 21 year old songstress who began flexing her song writing and singing skills when she got the opportunity to participate in the EP ‘ Behind Every Great City’ which was sponsored by the Mayor of London’s Sadiq Khan and went on to amass 1m streams on spotify.
After sparking interest with her single Go Away . We caught up with Summer’s latest single ‘Pretty Face’, which samples the hit classic ‘No Scrubs’ giving a nod to the iconic 90’s / 00’s R&B era.
How would you describe your sound?
I’d describe it as R&B essence with influences from all of my other favourite genres! My sound is heavily inspired by R&B as it’s what I grew up listening to, but I’m constantly influenced by all of the music I listen to from Pop to Dancehall.
What is the inspiration behind your latest single ‘Pretty Face’?
I was inspired by all of the female anthems from the 90’s R&B era when I wrote ‘Pretty Face’. It’s all about accepting and embracing your strength, intelligence and independence when ending a toxic relationship. Knowing your worth!
Who are your musical inspirations?
I literally have so many! I grew up listening to a lot of R&B from Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Lauryn Hill. This started my obsession with vocals and singing in general. I also love my neo-soul from Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu! My family are from Jamaica, so I’m also really inspired by the classic reggae that I listened to when I was younger.
How did you get into music?
I started singing lessons when I was six. My family are also very musical, so I remember visiting the recording studio for the first time when I was six or seven which really inspired me! I was a huge fan of musical theatre, so I trained in mainly musical theatre vocals until I was about 14. At 14 I started writing my own songs and taught myself to play the piano as well.
How has Covid -19 impacted you as an artist?
As the live music scene has been shut off it’s definitely given me more time to get creative with my song writing and in the studio. I’ve had more time to reflect on life which has inspired me to write about all the things I had going on or feelings I felt before the pandemic.
What is your favourite song you have created and why?
It changes all the time depending on my mood but at the moment it’s probably my song ‘Go Away’ as it’s all about embracing positive energy and getting rid of negativity which I think is really important for the time that we are in right now! It also keeps me motivated!
Do you practice self care, if so how do you care for yourself as an artist?
For me it’s important to know when to take a break and not constantly place too much pressure on being creative, otherwise it becomes easy to burn out. I like to separate working on my music and leisure time, to ensure that I have time to recharge and get inspired as much as I can.
Who is currently on your playlist?
At the moment I’ve been listening to a lot of Victoria Monét and Alex Isley. I also love so much of the new R&B coming out the UK from artists like Bellah, Tiana Major9 and Jvck James.
What legacy do you want to leave in music?
For me my music documents different situations, thoughts and feelings that I go through, so I’d like to look back at the different songs I release as milestones in my life. Also I’d like to leave a legacy of music that I genuinely enjoy making and listening to.
Words: @gyallikeannie
