Turning her back on a secure teaching career in her late 30s to follow her dream, Summer Dean launched herself into a full-time career as a recording and touring musician three years ago. Her current album, released earlier this year, THE BIGGEST LIFE, is a gilt-edged collection, following on from 2021’s BAD ROMANTIC. Her impact on the music scene was further recognised in February when she was voted Honky Tonk Woman of The Year at the Ameripolitan Music Awards. In our recent chat with Summer, she was overflowing with enthusiasm and positivity – and we expect to hear a lot about her in the coming years.
You recently toured Australia for the first time. How was that?
Yes, I just got back. I left Sydney at the same time and the same day that I got back to Texas. I had a wonderful time. I had a complete Australian band there who were fantastic pickers. I'd love to bring my own band, but it's so expensive. Sometimes it's hard to trust other players that you've never heard play before, and I felt that way going to Australia but I spoke with Dale Watson and others that tour overseas, and they all said that these guys are great, so I just went with it and was pleasantly surprised. We played two great festivals, one in Melbourne called Out On The Weekend and another in Sydney called Groundwater. I had eight shows and eight flights in ten days. I didn't see anything except the venues, airports and hotels, but it was great. I really need to go back and see more of Australia because the people were fantastic.
Asleep at The Wheel, Brennen Leigh and Joshua Hedley also played at those festivals.
Yes, Brennen Leigh and Joshua Hedley were special guests as members of Asleep at The Wheel. They both got to do some of their own songs with Ray (Benson) and Asleep at The Wheel.
Tell me about your family's ranching background in Texas.
It moves generations. When I was a little girl, my momma's daddy was running it, and my parents run it now, so next, it will be my brother and me. It gets passed down, so we didn't all live there.
That ranching lifestyle is similar to that of a musician; retirement is not an option, is it?
No never. When my grandad died and it was time for my parents to take over, they had already retired from their own jobs, and they are busier now than they were before. They are both in their 70s, and I think that activity keeps you alive. They are moving every day and have problems to solve every day. It keeps their body and brains in tip-top shape. It's a blessing. I'll have my turn.
You launched your professional career as a musician at a relatively late stage. Was there any one motivating factor for that?
People ask that a lot because it's unique to start full-time a little later in life. I don't know if it was one instance; I did have some realisations. The reason I didn't do it in my younger years is that I didn't think it was feasible. I was raised right by my parents, and I was scared. My parents wanted me to get a salaried profession. I have good parents, so they wanted to make sure that I was all right. I also didn't think I was good enough, either. In my late 30s, I was doing a bit of both and saying 'yes' to everything. And finally, I got to the point where I couldn't do both anymore. I was so tired. I was a school teacher and I was taking naps under my desk while the kids were at other classes. My brother is a successful businessman in Texas, and he said there are people in this world who do things, and there are people in this world that do not. I did not want to turn 40 and be unhappy, and I'm proud of myself that I made those changes. You can always make changes but you cannot go backwards. I don't know where I got the gumption, but I guess all the ghosts of my loved ones who had died before me just picked me up and said: 'go for it.' And I'm so glad that I did. In country music, it was never about the girls; it was always about women, grown women and women my age. If I'd done it in my 20s, I would have probably messed it up.
Have your expectations been realised since turning professional?
Yes, I am living like I'm 23 and I am 43. Again, just like my parents working on the ranch, it keeps you young and keeps you going. I also have a lot of things to say with my songs and things to say about mistakes I've made already that I can put in perspective. It was all meant to be.
You worked with Brennen Leigh, Colter Wall, Matt Hillier and Robert Ellis on your albums. Are they people that you reached out to?
They were all friends that I had before. Back in college, I played a little music and I always had friends in the industry. I did a little bit without completely jumping in. So, I always had my toes dipped in songwriting and performing. They were all gracious enough to lend their names next to mine and help me, and that has helped me so much. Especially Colter. I'm not ignorant of what a duet with an artist like Colter can do for the career of a small artist like me. I know what that meant and I know how flat-out lucky I was to do that. I can stand on my own, but I'm forever grateful that Colter let me sing next to him because he is a big deal and a good man, and I'll appreciate that forever.
It has to be so difficult for emerging artists with the depth of talent out there.
It is. You're out there trying to get the gigs, trying to get the right producers, trying to get a spot with an agency and trying to get a label. There are a lot of people looking for those spots. It's easy to get wrapped up in the competition of it and everybody does. To shoot an arrow to go forward, you have to pull it right back. It's those times when I sometimes question myself: 'Am I not doing enough? Am I not working hard enough?' I just say I have to pull my arrow right back again.
You took a different direction with your latest album, THE BIGGEST LIFE, than on your previous albums. It's lyric-driven with many highly personal songs.
They are real stories and I'm glad you recognised that. Thank you. That is exactly what we meant. I was concerned that it might disappoint some of my hardcore traditional country fans because it wasn't, in my opinion, a hardcore traditional country record. That's where my heart was, and this album was about lyrics, stories and songs from a grown woman's perspective. It was risky to put it out because it's so vulnerable, but I'm very proud of the songs and writing, and recording that album all analogue. It changed my life and changed my goals also.
Lonely Girls Lament, She's Not Me, and Other Women are seriously open-hearted songs. Was it challenging to pour your heart out to that extent?
Yes, they are all real and it is a little embarrassing pouring your heart out like that. I seldom do the three songs live because it can be so heartbreaking. But what makes it a little special is that when I do one or all those songs at a show, and I'm not exaggerating, they speak to people, and I get a lot of tears and not happy tears. There is power in positivity and power in pulling someone up from their despair, but there is also power in relating to somebody else's despair. When people hear someone that they think is the happiest and luckiest person and they hear real thoughts come out from that person, it's validating – and having your feelings validated is powerful. I didn't know any of this was going to happen when I was writing those songs, but I am really proud of them. Because the album is often quiet, I have been doing a lot more solo shows to showcase the writing.
How did the connection with producer Bruce Robison come about?
Bruce actually emailed me. All songwriters would love to make an album with Bruce, but I wasn't thinking about that then. In fact, I had a three-album plan: a rocker album, a songwriter album, and a covers album that I wanted to do. It was a three-album plan over five years. I was trying to find a producer and a record label that would help me out with that, and then I got an email from Bruce. I had to scratch my eyes to see it was from Bruce Robison. We then talked about the songs and decided to go ahead and make an album. So, I didn't seek him out, but I am so glad that it worked out the way it did. Having a songwriter like Bruce tell me that my songs are worth his time and money was a game changer for my confidence. I was just another lucky girl getting the right email at the right time. It hadn't even been my plan at the time, but when you get a green light like that, you have to follow it.
Did you write the songs specifically for the album?
Yes, I write a song a week and when Bruce called and said he liked my songs, I just started sending him what I call 'kitchen demos.' I was literally in my kitchen singing into my phone and then texting them to Bruce. I didn't actually realise there was a theme there until we put all the songs together. But those songs are what I knew and felt at that time.
Next stop, Bruce Robison's Bunker Studio outside Austin, Texas.
Yes, it was the right record to do with Bruce Robison in his analogue studio out of Texas. We let the lyrics lead everything we did. We let the lyrics and the stories lead every decision that we made.
Did Bruce bring the players on board?
I knew people who worked in Bruce's studio quite a lot, and we agreed to use those people. For example, Jeff Queen played steel and guitar. I'd worked with Jeff before, and I knew he worked a lot with Bruce, so that was an easy decision. I also wanted Emily Gimble on the keys and harmony, and I knew she'd worked with Bruce before in his studio. We then collaborated on using different drummers and bringing in other people for certain songs.
How did you find the experience of working with him?
I trusted Bruce to produce the record; he drove that, but it was the two of us making decisions. We made decisions based on what was feeding right, and I trusted him when he thought he had an idea on a particular player or an arrangement, and I'm glad I did.
Was it a challenge vocally to work in an analogue environment without the option of tweaking the vocals after they were recorded?
I was focusing on my breathing, getting the words right, and doing the best that I could, but at the same time, letting go of perfection. When any artist focuses and does their best, you'll get some pretty good and interesting work; it was a cool experience. That's how they do it there, so if anybody wants to do a record with Bruce at The Bunker, you'd better be ready. The way they describe things there is 'no digital shenanigans.
How does that compare with recording in a studio where overdubs are an option?
There is something to be said for those beautiful, cleanly produced records; that's a whole different challenge. Making those records can be fun because you can actually do whatever you want, but it's another type of fun making an analogue record. All artists should do both in their lives, although I particularly like the analogue option for a singer/songwriter record. If I want to put out a rocker record, I would probably want to put some cool effects in there. It's 2023 so we can't knock computers. We love them, they're our friends.
Are you noticing a younger age profile coming to country music shows in recent years?
We are noticing that okay, but it is baby steps; you have to give it to them a little bit at a time. It was interesting being out with Asleep at the Wheel. They've been around for 50 years, and they have an older audience. But there were a lot of younger people at the gigs. They are the target audience, 25 to 35-year-olds, as they're the ones that you need to get on board business-wise. They're the ones who buy the tickets, go to the festivals and buy the records. It's going to take them a while for them to find everybody in country music, but if they go to a Charley Crockett show, they might find out about James Hand, and that may lead them to Merle Haggard, Connie Smith and Johnny Bush.
You mentioned earlier that a covers album may be something you would consider.
I would love to do a covers album, and it is in my plan. Right now, I'm just telling people who I am. I'd love to put out a record of all Johnny (Bush) and Connie (Smith) songs, but that would only be relevant to a few people. You have to make artistic decisions, and you have to make business decisions. And you have to navigate where those go. I'd love to get to a point in my career where I could say, 'Well, I'm a big enough deal now. You think this is good; well, listen to some Connie Smith and Johnny Bush songs.' I did that Leona Williams song, Yes Ma'am, He Found Me In A Honky Tonk on my BAD ROMANTIC record so that I could talk about your every night at my shows. A good cover can do a lot for your career. Charley Crockett is really good at that, as well as a lot of other things that he's good at. He can really pick cover to suit him and sound like it's his own song.
Are you heading back on the road when the jet lag from the Australian tour passes?
Yes, I'll play around Texas for a while. We usually play at the weekends, that's how we work. We go out for a month and then back home to Texas for a month. I never want to leave Texas for more than a month or two. I also have some solo shows in the UK coming up. Ags Connolly will be opening up for me and driving me around, so that will be fun.
Interview by Declan Culliton