Summer Bennett unleashes her debut single, “Carsick”
The emerging Newfoundland-based 14-year-old singer-songwriter, Summer Bennett won the 2021 Newfound Talent Contest (MusicNL). Now, she has unveiled her debut single, “Carsick.” “Carsick” is the first of two singles from the prize package.
The inspiration came from a real experience when Summer felt pressure to fit into a group that she knew she didn’t belong in:
“writing music helped me through that tough time, and hopefully this song will connect with other people that have felt that way.” said Summer.
The song was recorded by Krisjan Leslie, a local producer and engineer with credits on albums by The Once, Kubasonics, and Long Distance Runners.
According to Summer,
“working with Krisjan was really natural—I showed him my vision for the song, and he immediately understood the feeling I was trying to create.”
In April, Summer Bennett added another impressive line to her young resume: an Arts & Letters Award for “Carsick” in the Junior Music category. As part of the prize, she performed the song at the public opening of the Arts & Letters Exhibit at the Rooms on April 22, 2022.
Listen to “Carsick” below, and find out more about Summer Bennett via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Summer Bennett. I’m a 14-year-old singer-songwriter from Paradise, Newfoundland who plays guitar, ukulele, and piano. I have been playing music my whole life and started to write at the early age of 6! I recently won the 2021 Newfound Talent Contest in St. John’s (MusicNL), as well as the 2022 Newfoundland Government Arts & Letters award in the Junior Music category for my debut single “Carsick”. I also enjoy acting and musical theatre but performing my music live is my true passion.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Carsick is an original pop song I wrote that is recorded and produced by Krisjan Leslie of Lab of Chaos in St. John’s and mastered by Matt Dines of Hurricane Music in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland.
The Story Behind the Song:
Being ‘Carsick’ is a metaphor for feeling helpless, anxious, and stuck in a situation that makes you uncomfortable, giving you that uneasy feeling that many of us know all too well.
The inspiration came from a real experience when I felt pressure to fit into a group that I knew I didn’t belong. Writing music helped me through that tough time, and hopefully, this song will connect with other people that have felt that way.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
I tend to pull inspiration from my personal life, happy or sad. I find writing very therapeutic and it allows me to express myself. It is definitely my preferred way of communicating my thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I always have my phone full of song lyrics or melodies from everyday events that have sparked inspiration.
Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
I do have some local events planned and some promotional events in Nova Scotia, but my summer is going to be spent in the studio working on new releases with a couple of different producers. I will also be shooting a new music video in July. I am taking this opportunity to work on the music.
I do plan on booking some dates in the fall so stay tuned.
What’s your goal for 2022?
My goal for 2022 is to be a better artist, work on my craft and get my music heard by as many people as possible. I want to continue to release some singles over the next few months and then towards the end of 2022 be working on an EP or full-length record. I have a lot of songs I want people to hear!