How Remy Bond Channeled the Sweet Vibes of the Season Into ‘Summer Song’

So far this year, no track has captured the essence of the season quite like "Summer Song' by 19-year-old singer-songwriter Remy Bond.

Featuring Jean-Benoît Dunckel of French duo AIR, it's a dreamy pop track oozing with nostalgia and the vibes of the late '60s and early '70s, driven by Remy's hazy, soothing vocals as she sings of young love in the heat of summer. It also comes accompanied by a cinematic music video showing Remy leaving her husband-to-be at the altar for another man. Remy wanted a fresh energy for the video, recruiting only people younger than her for the crew, including 16-year-old director Jagger Blue Remy's younger sister, Olivia Violet, as producer. We knew it was something special from the first listen, and had the pleasure of chatting with Remy all about the vibrant track in the interview below.

The Story Behind 'Summer Song'

Remy Bond: The song started off being this cool, sultry song when we wrote the original version. The chorus wasn't actually made until like a week after we thought we finished the song, and it kind of just changed the whole vibe from being this chill song about being a teen in L.A. to this bright summery sound. I think when you can make both those things work, it's just so interesting to listen to.

 

What 'Summer Song' Means

RB: I usually don't like listening to my own songs, or get sick of them, but I'm just so in love with "Summer Song" and never get tired of it. I hope other people do, too. I feel like the chorus, especially, is just an unapologetically good vibes sound—almost like a '70s Summer of Love song—and I think people need to hear music like that again.

 

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On Working With Jean-Benoît Dunckel of AIR

RB: I watched The Virgin Suicides embarrassingly for the first time this past year and just loved the soundtrack. I got in touch with [AIR] through instagram (my sister just took my phone and dmed JB asking to do a song together, lol), and then I flew to paris and we did a song together haha. We just worked on a new one last week too, called, "Beach Baby."

(Photo credit: Kirt Barnett)

 

Remy's Favorite Lyric

RB: "I'm gonna make this boy my wife." It's just this cheeky phrase, but it makes sense somehow, haha.

 

On the Music Video

RB: I directed my last music video and did not plan any shots out ahead before going to set, which was really fun, but also not productive. I wanted a director who would have that same energy but also—you know—plan the shots so that the whole MV wasn't just me vibing in a field of flowers. Jagger [Blue] is so talented. We just had all the most random things—like why were there Playboy bunnies at the wedding?

 

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What's Next

RB: I have a really cool '70s-style song called "San Francisco" that I'm releasing soon.

 

A Final Easter Egg

RB: I do this thing where I collect lipstick that characters wore in movies, so for the MV,  we got the ones they wore in a lot of the old movies and had the bunnies wear them.

 

For more stories behind our favorite new music, click HERE to read our interview with Greyson Chance on his latest single, "Haymaker."