Huntsville, ON-born and currently Toronto, ON-based singer-songwriter Briar Summers is no stranger to us here at GDW – an emerging artist we first encountered barely into her teens singing the Canadian national anthem at a music festival, and one whose musical career has blossomed ever since. We were incredibly impressed with Briar’s sophomore album, “From The Ashes,” back in 2021 (and featured here at GDW), making it extra easy to be excited for “Resonance,” Briar’s third studio album released back in June.
Just like the proverbial phoenix from which Briar’s last album found its name, here is an artist who found her inner confidence to unshackle any chains of creative doubt and delivered an outstanding collection of songs whilst balancing the rigors of high school life. Briar not only rose towards the spotlight – she set an incredibly high bar for anything that would follow.
Catching up with Briar last summer, we had the good fortune to hear several of the tracks destined to appear on “Resonance” – and in two different settings. Performing in-the-round as part of a festival singer-songwriter workshop, Briar shared solo versions of both “Want Me” and “Take Your Blame, before enticing us downtown later that evening for the full-band versions of these tunes, along with others, including “Over You” and “Fool’s Gold.” Whetting our appetite for more, the arrival of “Resonance” has proven well worth the wait.
As we sit here spinning “Resonance” on the GDW turntable, we can only instinctively nod in appreciation of how Briar has once again risen to the challenge. Just less than 60-seconds into the opening track, “Right Now,” we knew that this album was raring to exceed our expectations, progressing through the standout cuts mentioned above and towards the closing track, “Summer Song,” Briar leaves us breathless as we witness yet another significant leap in her continued music journey.
Produced and mixed by Wayne Cochrane at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, ON (mastered by Christopher Crerar); curious to learn more about this outstanding album and the stories behind some of the songs, we are incredibly grateful to Briar Summers for taking some time to chat with us about “Resonance.”
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You have just released your third full-length album, “Resonance,” out into the world. How does it feel sharing this chapter of your musical journey with us all?
It’s definitely a relief. I’ve spent so long writing and imagining what these songs would sound like. Between songwriting to release it can take years. For example, I had been performing songs like “Summer Song” and “Ghost Town” more than three years ago, and they finally got released last month! Things always take longer than you think. Plus, once the songs were recorded, mixed and mastered, there were still several months spent in anticipation before release. It was a bit nerve-wracking as many of the songs are very personal, but it was too late to hit the pause button!
You set a high bar with your prior album, “From The Ashes.” What lessons did you take from working with the incredible team of David Bottrill, Chris Stringer, and Joao Carvalho on that album, that were applied to “Resonance?”
I’m so very grateful to have worked with these amazing people. They were the ones who really taught me about the recording process and gave me lots of tips and tricks. This made the recording and organization of Resonance so much smoother because I actually knew what I was doing this time! I was better able to convey ideas I had, both to fellow musicians and to the production staff.
“Right Now” opens the album with some dominant keystrokes and a polished, well mastered sound – yet also sets a strong tone for the rest of the songs that follow. There is a clearly defined sound and sense of maturity in your creativity – what are the origins of “Right Now” and how did you decide to make this the lead song?
“Right Now” was the last song written for this record. I tried to incorporate various elements from the whole album into it. So, you get pop-y vocals, a rock guitar riff, and a bridge with a beautiful string arrangement. The album is about change, and this song is about believing in and accepting yourself no matter where you are in your journey. Also, listening back to this song, I can’t help but hear an echo of some of my biggest songwriting influences, Serena Ryder and Kandle Osborne, whose music I adore to this day.
I recall your tale of your own musical path being influenced by strong, independent female artists, with your composition “Stronger” itself an anchor-track for future generations of songwriters to find inspiration. If the next generation were looking for a similar cut on Resonance, where would you point them, and why?
“Right Now” is almost synonymous with “Stronger,” though a different style and genre. As with “Stronger,” I pulled from my own experiences being a young woman both in the music industry, in the science field, and in life in general. Many times, I have been overlooked, belittled, or underestimated. But rather than let this drag me down, I try to have a “prove them wrong” mindset. It’s not easy to do, but having confidence is key! We all make mistakes and experience failures, but we just have to get back up and keep trying! I think in music (and in life), we must support each other too. I believe success is best achieved through collaboration not competition.
You dedicate “Take Your Blame” to your younger brother, with a message that while you’ve left the first footprints for him to fill in, sometimes it can be hard to live up to someone else’s path in life. Was there a specific moment that prompted these thoughts, and how did you approach this from a songwriting perspective?
Things got tough when I moved away for school. Suddenly my brother was alone at home, which I imagine must have been strange. But I’ve always been overly ambitious which probably put a high level of expectation onto my brother. In this song I’m reassuring him that, whoever he is and whatever he does, I’ll be there for him. While writing the song, I brought my mind back to our childhood home and included ideas from the many chats we’ve had together about growing up. (By the way, a “sequel” to this song is in the works – look for it on the next album!).
You’ve worked with multi-instrumentalist Drew Jurecka on both this and your previous album – how did you originally connect with Drew, and what do you feel that he brought to both your music and your studio experience, that you may have otherwise missed?
Drew has truly been a blessing! His work is featured on JUNO-winning and GRAMMY-nominated albums, he’s worked with Jeff Healey and Jill Barber and international sensation Dua Lipa! Drew is a mutual friend of David Bottrill and Miranda Mulholland, so when I needed additional strings, we reached out. Despite a very hectic schedule (family, touring, etc.) he was willing and able to add beautiful violin and viola arrangements to several pieces. A great complement to the cello provided by my classically trained friend, Daniel Dennis. I’m so grateful and humbled by the caliber of musicianship I’ve found myself surrounded with lately. Drummer Ben Riley, who’s played on the road for Bruce Cockburn and Matt Dusk, drove from his new home in Montreal back to Toronto just to record drums for me on this album. Everyone has been so generous and supportive. I’m so appreciative of their help on this project.
While music is your passion, you are also a full-time student at university in Toronto. Is there an art to juggling the demands of college education against the craving to create and perform, and if so, what approach have you imposed on yourself to find such a balance?
It’s tough, I’ll tell you that! But I love both music and science so much that the stress is worth it. I keep a strict schedule and stick to it. During the summer, it’s normally easier – except this summer as I’m preparing for the MCAT, the med school entrance exam. During the school year though, I’m not as busy with gigs. And whenever I need a break from schoolwork, I write songs! Hopefully my roommate doesn’t get too annoyed, ha!
You’ve just taken your first trip across the pond to perform a few gigs – how does it feel to add ‘international touring artist’ to your resume, and how receptive are these crowds to your music (especially differences between English-speaking and lesser English-speaking audiences)?
This was an AMAZING experience. And I hope to do more shows in new places in the future. At the shows in Europe, I played many “international hits” (especially popular Canadian songs of course – by The Weeknd, Avril Lavigne, Shawn Mendes, etc.) and got many people singing along. It felt like the language barrier didn’t even exist. People who would come out to these shows are there for the music, and I think they enjoyed it! One thing I learned though: never plan gigs in England during an international soccer tournament unless you’re prepared to reschedule a gig or two! Having live music in a pub will always get trumped by a football match, ha ha! But a real confidence booster was winning “The Voice of the Sea” singing contest aboard the Costa Fortuna cruise ship. It was so much fun, and I loved hanging out and learning from everyone involved!
From other interviews we’ve done discussing album releases, one recurring statement we hear is that artist’s often feel that with the release comes a sense of letting go – that the album is no longer yours alone but is now everyone’s. Do you share that sense of disconnect, of letting go, and of moving on to your next chapter, or do you experience something different altogether?
Absolutely, and it’s the best feeling. It was so hard keeping it to myself, I wanted to send even the rough mixes to everyone I knew, ha ha! And production takes so long that I’ve already written enough songs for my next album! Songwriting doesn’t stop while I’m recording.
But each album is like a snapshot of a particular stage in my life that goes out into the world. Roller Coaster when I was 13, From the Ashes when I was 16, Resonance at 19. I don’t feel like I’m completely done with this latest stage, however. These songs are about change and an uncertain future, and things are still very much in flux!
So, with three studio albums now under your belt, and the continuation of your studies, what’s next on the horizon for Briar Summers – ‘the artist’ – as you prepare to venture into the next chapter of post-university life?
Well, “post-university life” won’t be for a while, unfortunately – since I’m hoping to start med school next year! But I’m hoping to get started on recording new material possibly later this year to keep the ball rolling. I’m REALLY excited about the next batch of songs! I plan to co-produce this next release now that I know what I’m doing, and I’ll keep it low-key, likely working back home with a local sound engineer. Of course, I’ll still be performing as much as possible – playing live is my favourite part of this crazy career!
As we wrap up this interview, we are eternally grateful for the vinyl copy of “Resonance” that you kindly sent our way – thank you for thinking of us and gifting us the album – and especially for name-dropping Great Dark Wonder in your liner notes (not to forget the invitation to your full-band show last summer).
Thanks so much for your continued interest in my music, Martin!
Photo Credit: Art & Angst (album cover photos) / Briar Summers
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
