A Chat with Jodi Summer (01.07.22)
Showing audiences that musical expression has no limits, UK-based musician, drag act and dancer Jodi Summer share their bold music with the masses. We speak with Summer about their new EP Seasons of Summer, making big mistakes and future plans.
OSR: What drew you to music?
Summer: You mean apart from money, fame and people wanting to sleep with you? (Which I have none of at the moment, but I sure am working on that!)
I just always have been a musical person really, even as a child. It just does things to my body that nothing and no one else can. Try to leave me alone for five minutes, I’ll start singing some random song and dancing around as if I’m performing on the Super Bowl Half Time show! My family sent me with that energy to dancing classes at age 7 which only emphasised my flamboyance and eccentricity.
Sadly when you’re growing up in an environment that’s not exactly tolerant of those traits in a boy, you end up being bullied for it and bullied I was, badly. I spent half of my time in elementary school being called a faggot, a queer, etc., so it didn’t take a lot of time for me to become more reserved and more closeted to people. So yeah, it took me about seven years from that point to make a full circle and become that extroverted crazy butterfly everyone loves to see and hear but we are finally here! Honestly, it’s a West End musical in the making.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
Summer: That love can suck. Horribly. Although I don’t always consider the feelings described in Seasons of Summer as love. More an obsession. Addiction even. An overwhelmingly strong desire to be with a person that will never reciprocate those feelings. But that’s something a lot of the LGBTQ community can relate to I think, falling in love with their straight friends.
As depressing as that sounds, Seasons of Summer is just not a happy story. I wanted it to be a reflection of my life experience, while also being something my audience can relate to, feel sad to, and maybe even cry to. Life is not always rainbows and sunshine, even for us gays, and we own the rainbow for crying out loud! But being able to express those negative emotions in a healthy way is good – sometimes all you need to feel better and start healing is a good old crying session, or five, or however many someone needs. God knows how many times in my life I’ve cried my eyes out to feel a huge relief the next day because of the crying.
OSR: Is there a backstory to your EP Seasons of Summer?
Summer: Gurl, does the sun set every evening?
Back in middle school, I managed to make a few friends among the class nerds as we shared a few interests together (happens to the best of us). After turning 16, I started getting fond of one of them just a bit too much, and before I could help it I had the biggest crush on him. I could not stop thinking about him, I would shoot glances at him every lesson we had, I would spend hours sitting with him trying to think of subjects to talk about and not coming up with anything because my social skills at that point were like a virgin at a Pride parade, non-existent! What I’m trying to say is, that I was obsessed with that boy!
Yes, I was aware that he’s straight (boys at that age talk about girls a lot after all) but a heart wants what it wants and I could not stop myself from having feelings for him. I was young and stupid, believing in a fairy tale where there still was a glimpse of hope for him to love me in any way.
Long story short, in the week before our graduation I finally gathered enough guts to invite him over to tell him. Needless to say, I was up for a rude awakening when he rejected me, and so I spent an hour afterwards sobbing in a bathtub. Talk about a dramatic ending.
Seasons of Summer is basically a play in three acts about this experience in my life. For years I’ve been writing songs about it, finally deciding it was time to put that work into a final product and give myself a long-deserved closure on the subject. ‘Nerd’ talks about my falling for the guy mixed with our friendship. ‘Lap’ describes me spending hours at night imagining my future with him in a pure, innocent way, and ‘Curtain Call’ is a big metaphor for my confession to him.
OSR: If you could change anything about Seasons of Summer, what would it be and why?
Summer: Probably the producer, songwriter and composer, who all happen to be me. ?
On a serious note, I don’t think there’s much I’d want to change in it. Sure, there are some technical aspects and details that I could have done better, but in no way am I claiming to be as excellent at this as FFINEAS for example. A different transition here or another instrument there, more EQ in that song, there’s a bunch of tiny things that make me cringe as its creator. At the end of the day, however, I look at this EP, at those three songs, and I’m proud of them. I’m proud of myself for being able to create something like this in a year, for putting my creativity out there and giving it a shape, a sound, for taking my vision and making it a reality. And every musician, even every artist, no matter their preferred field of art, should be proud of their work. We bare our souls to the world, we become vulnerable to our audience in a way nobody else does, and I think that’s simply beautiful.
OSR: Do you have a favourite track off the EP?
Summer: ‘Lap’ definitely holds a special place in my heart. It’s one of those songs you write in 10 minutes, the feelings you have for the subject matter are so strong that the lyrics just write themselves really. As I mentioned, during the eternity that was the time of me obsessing over my crush, I’d spend a lot of time daydreaming about my future with him. Most of the time it was just longing for those simplest things as just watching a movie together cuddled up etc., it was just pure and innocent. (I said most of the time because at the end of the day teenagers are teenagers). And so that’s all ‘Lap’ is about – my experience of thinking for hours about what my future would be like with this boy (with hints of awareness of my delusions).
OSR: What are the top three qualities you admire in others?
Summer: Big wallet, big personality and big d… Oh, you meant in general didn’t you?
That’s not actually something I ever think of, or something I pay attention to with people, to be honest. I think I can vibe with a lot of different people as long as they’re not being jerks, can keep up with my big personality, and aren’t boring, so I guess I’ll take that for my answer.
OSR: Have you ever been in a situation that you thought would be terrible but actually enjoyed?
Summer: I’d say life, but that would be an obvious lie! I actually think like that about a lot of situations. My brain likes to do this to me where it thinks of the worst-case scenarios for events that are out of my comfort zone or that I’m less prepared for than I would prefer. Lately, I’ve been trying to train it to just chill and enjoy those situations.
Actually, there was a situation recently that’s perfect for this question! I was planning to go out clubbing with a friend, the venue was playing Miley Cyrus all night. Unfortunately said friend had to cancel last minute and I had no one else to go with at that point. Cue in my brain thinking of the worst scenarios for me going there alone, having a miserable time, etc. In the end, I decided I’m going anyway since I can always leave whenever, so it’s not a big deal. Sure enough, as soon as I get there alone, a pair of goth girls ‘adopt’ me and we twerk the night away to Miley’s tunes. Couldn’t even feel my legs the next day, and don’t get me started on the hangover! In other words, I had the time of my life!
OSR: What was the last big mistake you made?
Summer: Trying to become a musician for a living ?
I can’t think of anything for that really, I’d like to think that I’m a person with a lot of common sense. I like to say I can be stupid, not delusional, so it’s more about smaller mistakes like getting lost in my thoughts and smacking head first into an opening door. Now watch me say that and make a big mistake in the next few days!
OSR: Do you have any future plans as a musician?
Summer: Winning awards, selling out arenas, earning platinum records, the sky is the limit. I’m a very ambitious person which obviously comes with a lot of ego and narcissism, so yeah, it’s go big or go home.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Summer: As cliché as it sounds, be yourself! Honestly, if you’re authentic to yourself, you will surely find the right people in your life and who knows how many possibilities that can bring to you. If you’re weird, there’s plenty of people who will vibe your weirdness. And if someone doesn’t like you for it, fuck ‘em. Just be you.
Unless you’re a jerk, then stop that. Don’t be a jerk.
Many thanks to Jodi Summer for speaking with us. For more from Jodi Summer, check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
