Photo Credit- Kate Rentz.
Oregon-based indie-Americana singer-songwriter Sharaya Summers shares fragile, poignant track "Forever You & Me". The forthcoming album of the same name is due out later this year. The track is a gentle reminder of life's fleeting nature and to hold loved ones close in the present moment.
"Forever You & Me,", emerged after Summers returned from her grandmother's funeral and watching her grandfather observe the slideshow of her life, left shattered in the church pew. This image, being left alone with a lifetime of memories, haunted her. Opening up about the personal meaning of the track, Summers shares,
"As I prepare to release this track I face separation and possible divorce from my partner of 6 years. We have 2 beautiful babies, and have made some incredible memories." Changes in her personal life have allowed the song to take new shape overtime as its meaning and life evolves. "The lyrics to this song have taken on new meaning for me." She continues, "Whether love is lost in life or death, it is something we can never fully prepare for. All we have is the present, so make the moments count." Though the subject matter can be dark, Summers is determined to conjure pieces of hope and light as she looks ahead to the future.
Sharaya Summers grew up in Portland, Oregon and spent her twenties honing her songwriting, bringing her to Nashville, Tennessee. She later spent eight years living in Los Angeles and toured alongside Houndmouth, Ella Vos, and Milo Greene, and her music has been featured in acclaimed TV shows like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars.
Now in 2023, after some substantial life changes, Summers is gearing up to share her most vulnerable work to date. Later this year, Summers is slated to bring listeners into her ever-evolving world as she settles into motherhood, reckons with a struggling marriage and strives to embrace true self-love.
"Forever You & Me," the stirring track, aims to keep love alive through memories and delicately emphasizes the significance of the present moment.
Sharaya Summers is a proud Oregonian whose PNW roots can be felt in her ethereal melancholy sound. She spent her twenties pursuing her songwriting craft which led her on a 6-month, 50-state tour in 2009 landing her in Nashville TN, with a publishing deal.
Sharaya's music career continued to soar with an 8-year stint in Los Angeles, where her indie/rock band, Banta, signed to EOne Records in 2014. She has toured alongside renowned artists such as Houndmouth, Ella Vos, and Milo Greene. Her songs have been featured in the hit TV shows "Gossip Girl" and "Pretty Little Liars." Sharaya draws her inspiration from a range of musical influences, spanning from Fleetwood Mac, Mazzy Star to Chris Issach and Patsy Cline.
Sharaya's 2018 release of, "Light of the Moon," was dubbed “ A woozy slice of retro cali-pop” and “one of the best debut singles of the year” by Idolator.com. It has garnered over 6 million streams across platforms and has been spun on KCRW and select radio stations across the country. Her releases have continued to garner praise by media outlets such as Paste Magazine, Clash Magazine, and Daytrotter.
In 2019, she moved home to Jacksonville, OR to be close to family as she welcomed her firstborn son. She spent 2020 cocooned with her newborn which gave her time and space to focus on the transition to motherhood.
Her most recent accomplishments include a string of singles released in 2020, co-writing on several other artist's releases in 2021, and the recording of a 10-song studio album with producer Raymond Richards (Avid Dancer, Local Natives, Parson Red Heads) in Portland while pregnant with her daughter. Themes of the album are honest and vulnerable, as she draws from the personal struggles of marriage, identity and self-love. Forever You & Me, the album, is set for release in 2023.
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