It’s new EP day for Swedish singer-songwriter David Alexander, aka Summer Heart. Across ‘Ambitions’ – the follow-up to his ’12 Songs Of Summer’ project – he weaves themes of freedom and escape through tales of sinking relationships and self-imposed pressure, via twinkling, sometimes melancholic dream-pop. “[It’s] about having high ambitions and wanting to do so many things at the same time but not always knowing where to put your focus,” he explains. Give it a listen, and find out more about each of the record’s five tracks below, from the man himself.
Ambitions
One of my big struggles in life is that I often want to do too many things. I often have high ambitions, and sometimes I feel time is not enough for everything I want to do. When time is not enough, you have to choose one thing over another. That’s something I can find difficult. I want all opportunities to stay open.
Black Jeans
‘Black Jeans’ is about not being able to let go of someone even when it’s clear that person is just using you. It’s a song about trying to stand up for who you are and what you believe in, but time after time falling back into bad habits, friendships, and relationships.
I wrote this one in a tiny room in Hollywood. I had a very minimal setup at the time. MacBook, a small midi keyboard, my strat, Shure SM7b and a pair of headphones.
Good Together
It’s about breaking out of a bad relationship, but once out, you only remember the good parts. I wrote this one together with two of my best friends, Myra Granberg and Joakim Buddee. We were just hanging out in Myra’s apartment and playing around with an acoustic guitar.
Motorcycle
‘Motorcycle’ is about feeling free. It’s about clearing your head, riding your bike and listening to Beach Boys. There are some Beach Boys song titles in the lyrics as well. See if you can spot them.
With You On My Shoulder
It’s written and recorded by me in a small room in Hollywood. I’m playing all the instruments and have done all production and mixing in that room as well. Lots of the background sounds are voice memos I’ve recorded on the streets of LA. My friend Yara helped me out with background vocals on this one. I love having more than one voice on my tracks. It definitely adds another dimension.
Summer Heart’s ‘Ambitions’ EP is out now.
