Summer Bedhead shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Summer, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’ve never been a morning person so I usually have a pretty slow morning routine. First thing I do is eat breakfast since that’s the thing that motivates to get out of bed. I can’t start with things like exercise because I’ll just procrastinate.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Summer Bedhead, I play in a three piece indie and alt rock band based in Denver. I’m very vulnerable in my writing which gave me the idea to have sleepover themed shows. For our album release show we all played in our pajamas and threw pillows into the crowd. I want people to feel like they’re having a slumber party with us.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I moved to Denver it was one of the scariest choices I’d ever made. I left behind everyone I knew except my best friend who was already out here. It was also during the pandemic so it was a pretty wild choice. But after I did it I was confident I had the guts to do whatever was best for me even if it was hard.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I think there have been many times I almost gave up music but it was always a self imposed burn out from over working or putting too much pressure on myself. I would give up whatever goals I had and find myself revisiting music with my newfound freedom and doing it for fun. I would just be getting in my own way but I’m always reminded that this is something I love to do, that I don’t even know what else I would do with my time. I just have to shed those external pressures every once and awhile.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think the music industry like most industries encourages working yourself to death. I see so many musicians romanticizing the sacrifices they make and the suffering they endure as if it makes them a more legitimate musician. Eating poorly, staying out, putting everything they have into their music. Having fun outside of music, investing in your loved ones and taking care of yourself is not only important but it’s going to give you more to write about, more energy to accomplish your goals and overall better quality of life. I think folks are overly attached to the idea of a tortured artist. At the end of the day, nobody cares more than you do. If you take a break from practice or posting on socials because you need a mental health day especially as a small artist, nobody is going to notice or care. It’s something that can be both scary and comforting to think about. We ultimately do this for ourselves, so why have it be a source of pain when it’s only purpose is to be a source of fulfillment.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I’m not sure. I think so much of why we make art and music is for community. I don’t think it’s necessarily a lack of praise that would stop me but a general lack of connection would be disheartening. I think if I was the last person on earth I would continue to make music out of sheer boredom but it wouldn’t be my best. I make music to feel seen and understood and in turn make other people feel seen and understood. I feel like it’s why music is still something people gather for where as so many other medias available on streaming like movies may be exclusively enjoyed at home. People still sell out music festivals when you can access every track online for free because people want to connect. So no I don’t think I would be able to give it my all without praise but not necessarily because of vanity (although partially) but because that would also mean no constructive criticism, no connection, and no gathering. Which for me is the whole point.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://summerbedhead.com/
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/summerbedhead
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/summerbedhead
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/summerbedhead
Image Credits
Kenny Barnes for the images in normal clothes
Chase Yaws for the images of us in pajamas (plaid pants)
