‘Summer Love’, the title of singer-songwriter Stephanie Cherote’s debut single, is something of a misnomer. While the name might conjure up an image of blissed-out pop or saccharine romance, ‘Summer Love’ is haunting, melancholic folk at its finest.
“‘Summer Love’ refers to the absence of enchantment I was experiencing during those couple of years writing the album,” explains Cherote. “We set out of childhood with a very pure imprint in our heads about what love looks like, and it becomes this very elusive horizon.”
“I suppose writing the song was my path to reconciling the longing with the reality.”
With its fingerpicked guitar and Cherote’s breathtaking, vocals, there’s an overwhelmingly nostalgic quality to ‘Summer Love’, an indication of the songwriter’s early exposure to Hank Williams and 60s folk. It’s an expression of all-encompassing yearning backed by a 12-piece orchestra comprised of members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
‘Summer Love’ is the first single to come from Cherote’s forthcoming debut album, which is set for release later this year. It was also the first song Cherote wrote for the album, and marked the first time she’d ever written string parts. “After making the demo I knew that I wanted the entire album to have these elements only so it was also the sound template for the subsequent songs on the album,” she explains.
Listen to ‘Summer Love’ below.
