Based in Austin, TX, Summer Salt blends vibrant yet breezy vocal harmony and colorful elements of 1960s pop, Bossa Nova, and jazz. The group was originally formed around the talents of Matthew Terry (vocalist/guitarist) and Eugene Chung (drummer) during their senior year of high school.
In 2012 the band fledged away from their hometown to pursue music in Austin TX, where they began writing their first EP Driving to Hawaii.
The EP contains the essence of a never-ending vacation and is rich in guitar pop and silky harmonies that are reminiscent of the Beach Boys. It features “Sweet to Me”, “Rockaway”, and of course their title track, “Driving to Hawaii”, which has iconically represented the basis of all Summer Salt lyrics: trying to slow down and enjoy the ride of chasing what appears to be an unattainable pipe dream.
The band’s next release, Going Native (2015), was inspired by a trip abroad where Terry began diving into artists such as Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Gilberto Gil which lead to a new writing direction using Latin elements.
Succeeding the energetic and live sounds of Going Native, So Polite (2017), was the perfect appetizer for the band’s debut full-length album ‘Happy Camper’ (2018), featuring a more polished production quality from Sub-Pop stalwart Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, The Shins). The duo followed this with Honeyweed in 2019, fusing indie-pop with components of Brazilian tropicalia and 60’s folk drawing inspiration from seasoned topics of loss and renewal.
Summer Salt’s latest offering is the four-track EP entitled Avenue G. With songs dedicated to the heart of Austin Texas to where the duo started, Avenue G is a revival EP featuring tracks written when the band was younger. The duo revisited these songs and brought them back to life with a fresh twist. The single “Little Legs” is Summer Salt’s first pure pop tune. Detailing how strength is more than a physical trait and more importantly emotional and mental, Summer Salt urges fans to embrace themselves and find some sort of peace in true acceptance.
The melodic ensemble has cultivated a loyal following with their endless summer, ocean dream music that can be heard in influences such as the Lovin’ Spoonful, Donovan, Frankie Valli, the lovely Lady Day, or other musical genres of 1960s Rocksteady or African Highlife.
You can follow the band on
Photo: Andrew Reiner
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