A Sit-Down with Summer Heights
The new single Pull My Finger from Summer Heights will have you losing sleep over the addicting, must-scream chorus, and catchy punk rock instrumentals. The smooth but in-your-face vocals from lead singer Noah, accompanied by a killer and distinct sound from their drummer Josh, makes this new single an instant favourite.
These two Canadian roommates-turned-bandmates have been delivering their one-of-a-kind emo-punk sound since they formed in 2018 with some of their most popular singles including ‘Pens and Needles’ and ‘sarah jessica parker.’ Since Summer Heights has crafted such a unique sound that lets you know exactly who you’re listening to when their songs start playing, I had to ask which bands have influenced their musical tastes.
Noah pointed out that although he has been influenced by larger bands such as Microwave and Citizen in a lyrical and aesthetic sense, other up-and-coming bands, like Ontario’s own Arm’s Length, have made a massive impact on him recently. Josh then shone light on his discovery of Wonder Years while in high school and how the drummer, Mike Kennedy, has been one of his biggest musical influences.
With the release of Pull My Finger, Summer Heights have preformed some live shows around Ontario last month, and even more shows to come later this year. You’ll want to be sure not to miss them! Upcoming they have a concert at the Hard Luck Bar in Toronto on November 11th!
“At the core, they’re the same songs you hear when streaming, but you can give it a new feel live and connect more with the song and the people watching. You can’t recreate anything like playing a live show,” Noah tells me as he discusses why live shows are one of his favourite parts about being in this band.
Pull My Finger, while keeping to their signature sound, brings its own energy to the table. “I think it’s the most us that we’ve written… This one just feels the most genuinely us,” Josh points out. I came to wonder how there could be such a familiarity within this single even though there are distinct differences from their previous songs. Noah explains, “I feel like [the words] paint a picture in a way that grab your attention, we pushed ourselves a lot to just write something more ambitious that we haven’t written before.”
The song is quite the attention grabber, just as the boys were hoping for. However, the pre-chorus will put you right into that emo mood with the lyrics, “Did you ever ask what’s on my mind? Is it all too hard to say in time?” The duality of deep emotion and high energy will keep you listening again and again. . . and still needing more.
Thankfully, you’ll be able to hear this song live at shows in cities like Toronto, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Ottawa, and more over the next couple of months. Keep up to date with their live shows over on their Instagram.
And check out their new single here.