Young Summer (@youngsummer) is the musical moniker for American singer-songwriter Bobbie Allen, who is originally from Washington, D.C., but is now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Not too long ago, she embraced vulnerability and stepped into the spotlight with her new self-titled album, “Young Summer,” her first full-length release since 2014 via The Orchard and Secret Road.
Young Summer – “Make Waves” music video
“It’s that feeling of euphoria you have when you’re not riddled with anxiety or worried about the future. I want to make waves with you. It’s a peaceful feeling wrapped in a love song.” – Young Summer explained
The lead single, “Make Waves,” is a seductive reintroduction to Allen’s signature smoldering vocals backed by cinematic guitars and an even more cinematic visual. In the track’s self-directed music video, Young Summer falls in love with a classic Hollywood Sea monster, continuing a recurring theme of Allen embracing her monsters, both inside and out.
Young Summer – “My My” (Official Audio)
“A big theme of this record is the acknowledgment of the struggle of just being alive and ‘My My’ is definitely about that. Is it all in my head? It’s a controlled chaos that we all get when things get stressful. It’s trying to make sense of that – our interactions with our surroundings when things get crazy.” – Young Summer explained
Young Summer finds the perfect marriage of catchy and cathartic songwriting on “My My,” a hypnotic album standout that sees her dwelling in the depths of her mind.
Young Summer – “I Still Like You” (Official Audio)
For all its moments of reckoning, Young Summer has just as many moments of redemption. “I Still Like You” is an intimate, enchanting ode to love enduring, and keeping your infatuation with one another alive.
Young Summer – “Emotionally High” (Official Audio)
It’s a long time coming for Young Summer, who quickly took the indie world by storm with 2013’s debut LP, “SIREN,” a collection of electro-pop songs midway between Beach House and Ellie Goulding. “Emotionally High” is a buoyant and brooding indie pop ballad processing overwhelmed feelings.
Young Summer – “You Make Dying Fun” (Official Video)
“I would say that a persistent theme in my music and purpose is to understand the human experience for myself. I hope I can make other people feel less alone because that’s what music has done for me my entire life. I hope that my music accompanies people through whatever they’re going through, whether it be joyful or tragic. I just want people to feel seen and less alone.” – Young Summer explained
“You Make Dying Fun” is a poetic reclamation of life’s fragility. “It was an intrusive thought that you’re not supposed to say out loud,” Summer laughs. “You make dying fun/we’re turning into stars. There’s power and control in deciding you’re not going to be devastated. It could be a depressing thing, but how do I flip this and take the power back?”
Young Summer
“If the musicality of a song with more devastating ideas has some levity, it enables me to process everything better and enables me to write about things I’ve never been able to write about. I feel like there’s some armor in it. It makes looking directly at what ails me palatable. That’s why I love obscuring more emotional lyrics with mid-tempo, major chords, and lush production. It’s sneaking the medicine into the cake.” – Young Summer explained
Young Summer has shared stages with ODESZA, Tegan and Sara, and Tove Lo, played Coachella and Sasquatch music festivals, and sold out the Troubadour in LA. She’s also a sought-after songwriter for other artists. Through her publishing deal with The Stable/Kobalt, she’s co-written songs for Echosmith, Gatlin, Madi Diaz, and more.
Young Summer is a definitive evolution for Allen, who worked with producer and audio engineer Konrad Snyder (Kacey Musgraves, Noah Kahan) to make music that was as honest and true to herself as possible.
Young Summer
“It feels like it is the most me I’ve ever been, ever. It’s the music I was always supposed to make. A huge foundation of this record is writing hard truths but making it easier to confront by hiding it in pleasant music. Processing deep sadness is harder to do when it’s all-consuming and coming at me from all sides. It’s like I go into shock, so having some levity has always allowed me to back up and kind of survey the damage in a way I can’t when I’m all in.” – Young Summer explained
Musically, Young Summer recalls artists from Karen Carpenter to Fleetwood Mac and David Byrne. Dreamy, surreal, and honest, it’s a mix of classic and left-of-center pop songwriting, performed and produced with exceptional care and deliberate intent.
Young Summer – “Young Summer” album
“I am incredibly proud of myself for being able to approach and discuss topics that, for me, were incredibly hard to explore for the first time. I’m more vulnerable than I’ve ever been on this album. Being fully visible on the cover art of the record was part of that vulnerability, too. I usually feel like it’s too exposing to be on the album cover, but it was time to do it because it denotes the level of involvement in the album. I wanted to signal to the people who are listening, and who have been listening since the start of my career, that we are together again and closer than ever.” – Young Summer explained
A record of warmth, intimacy, and raw vulnerability, “Young Summer” is the product of an artist finding her voice. It’s a project of reckoning, liberation, and everyday survival — of navigating and enduring incredible chaos while staying hopeful throughout. Achingly confessional and brutally honest, “Young Summer” is the soundtrack to a soul exposed.
From beginning to end, Young Summer brings our innermost emotions to the forefront with passion, care, and a classic alternative pop sound. “Young Summer” is a record not just of survival, but of flourishing during turmoil and tumult. Young Summer has found her voice, and the result is nothing short of breathtaking. For more information, please visit youngsummermusic.com.
We recommend adding songs from Young Summer’s “Young Summer” album to your favorite indie-pop playlist. Also, let us know how you feel in the comment section below. Mel Blanc’s famous catchphrase, That’s All Folks! Thanks for reading another great article on Bong Mines Entertainment – the hot spot for new music and positive entertainment news. Always remember that (P) Positive, (E) Energy, (A) Always, (C) Creates, (E) Elevation (P.E.A.C.E). Contact us on social media via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, and let us know what’s going on. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, support our merchandise, and become a Patron of Bong Mines Entertainment. Disclaimer: This post contains Apple Music affiliate links. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site. That little compensation will be used towards keeping this website up and running.