Indeed, the response so far to the Perth, Western Australia-based musician's work has been anything but negative. In the space of two years from the band's inception in January of 2010, Summertime's End has managed to release two full-length albums to a positive reception. December of 2010 brought the debut album, With Love From Where You're Not - a self-produced, independently released collection of nine songs about "friendship, regret, affection, faith, dreams, hope, betrayal and love". Released at the time to less than a hundred fans, popularity of the album quickly spread and in just over a year the tracks had collectively received over a quarter of a million plays on YouTube, earning a YouTube partnership and multiplying Throssell's fanbase tenfold in a matter of months. Just over a year after the release of With Love From Where You're Not, in February 2012, the sophomore effort and 'sequel' - Light And Colour - was released, this time for free. Like its predecessor, it was produced, mixed and released independently by Throssell, but this time was mastered by the up-and-coming Jared deCook of liberatingpulse. The recording and production process occurred mainly in Throssell's bedroom with a MacBook Pro, somewhat akin to Owl City's Adam Young, whom Throssell cites alongside Relient K's Matt Thiessen as his greatest musical inspiration. Light And Colour showed a marked improvement in all aspects of the music, from the songwriting to the vocal and musical performances to the mixing quality. Fans rushed to download the new, free music and the special edition of the album hit dozens of torrent sites almost instantly. But rather than worrying, Throssell took it for the compliment it was: "I guess it's kind of sad that people would reduce what little you make as a musician these days, but I had to tell myself, 'aren't I blessed to be making music that people want to torrent? Nobody steals bad music'. That was a realisation that helped me relax and even smile about the whole issue: people are just showing that they like my music."
So what exactly is it that's so appealing about Summertime's End? "I don't think I'm anything revolutionary in terms of my sound," says Throssell. "It's really just my attempt at blending two of my favourite bands' styles - Relient K and Owl City - into one electropop/acoustic/pop-punk mix. But lyrically, I think I write about topics that lots of people can relate to. My Christian faith and my relationships with friends and loved ones are extremely important to me and I sing about them a lot. I tend to be pretty honest and direct in terms of my lyrics and I think that allows people to connect really well." Perhaps what Throssell refers to is best demonstrated in electropop ditty The Art Of Succinct Compliments: "You're cute, you're sweet, you're soft, you're smart / You fill the gaps inside my heart / You're nice to hold and hard to leave / You're everything that's good to me". Cheesy? Perhaps to some. But the name of the game here is cute, unadulterated honesty, and it's a formula that seems to be working, especially in the teen-girl fan demographic. Light And Colour delves a lot deeper lyrically, with topics ranging from whimsical and tongue-in-cheek topics such as sitting on a trolley in a deserted carpark, dancing with flowers before sunrise, and falling in love with a girl out of one's league to more serious themes such as discovering purpose in a life lived for God, a farewell to a departing friend or saving a girl from suicide. Throughout the album, however, Throssell retains a bright sense of optimism, layered over a sugar-sweet blend of Beach Boys-style harmonies, acoustic instruments and synthesiser leads.
The album opens with the aptly-titled "Valentine's Day", given that release was on February 14. The song itself is an excellent introduction to the style of the album; a romantic ballad set to a blend of piano-pop-rock, orchestral arrangements and synthesisers. The vocals also display a marked improvement from the first album, with a display of harder-edged vocal mastery in the bridge. "Airport Dreams", a blatant Owl City tribute, follows with some of Throssell's more abstract lyrics accompanied by strings, synthesisers and a solid electronic beat. The tone of the album is lightened with more humorous offerings, such as "There's Room On My Trolley For Two" and "Dazzling By Design", with the latter - along with "The Sunset Conspiracy", a metaphorical musing about chasing the sun around the world - being a fully-fledged pop-punk offering. Throssell's faith is put on display with the powerful piano-based "To Light" ("Feel the love that changed your life / Know now to truly live is Christ / Let your broken spirit glow so bright / With his light"), and the ultra-catchy "Live Like You", with reverent lines ("Help me to live so Your glory shows / 'Cause how I'm alive only Heaven knows / Teach me to love them in all that I do / 'Cause God, all I want is to live like You") delivered to high-energy drums, piano, acoustic guitar and synthesisers. "Light And Colour" sees Throssell pairing with guest vocalist Roisin Mary Jane for an electropop duet, and the inspirational "More Beautiful Than You Believe" delivers a powerful message for girls with low self-esteem, through the story of saving a girl from suicide: "She looks over the balcony / Wondering who'd care if she fell / But as she jumps, I catch her / I save her sinking heart / And gradually I'll teach her how to find a brand new start". The album closes with the melancholy yet hopeful "Until Blue Skies Return", with pristine fingerpicking giving way to some of the most complex and experimental instrumentation in the album. The special edition features four bonus tracks: the moving piano ballad "When She Sails Away", which sings about a long-distance love, followed by acoustic versions of two of the most popular tracks from With Love From Where You're Not: "In Stereo" and "Away", which shines in the instrumental with its synthesisers stripped away to reveal clever vocal harmonies and Throssell's solo guitar work. Finishing the bonus tracks is a remix from closely associated musical act and friend Jesse Burns from Seasons In Oregon (formerly LoveIsElectric) who applies his production mastermind to transform the high-octane pop-punk track "Dazzling By Design" into a characteristically poppy electronic tune, complete with a clubby kick drum outro to usher out the record. Throughout it all, the album never lets up for a 'filler' song - fan votes on favourite tracks show an even spread throughout all the album's tracks. It's a testament to the quality of the songwriting that each song on the album is able to stand up as a solid track in its own right. In terms of the songs, Summertime's End appears to be getting it all right.
If the music's good, then, why the relative obscurity? Claims Throssell, "I think it's clear from the response I've seen already that people do respond well to this kind of music - the problem is getting it to them in this super-saturated modern music industry." It's a claim that's hard to deny - such bright, poppy music is highly polarising, as can be seen by listener responses to influences Owl City and Relient K, and yet the reaction to this music is overwhelmingly positive; a fact evident from fan interactions and comments on various social media. Furthermore, it's a different kind of fan that's drawn to this kind of music; not the regular listener who has a few tracks on their iPod, but a culture of young listeners who really relate to the music they hear, and are passionately involved. And with a fanbase that's exponentially increased since the release of the first album, and live shows coming up for the first time in the band's history, it's not difficult to foresee Summertime's End becoming a bigger act over the next few years. "I used to get excited when one of my songs would be played overnight on Myspace," recalls Throssell. "Now one of my songs gets streamed online on average once a minute around the world. It's been a huge blessing to even get this far. I never dreamed that anyone other than myself would be hearing my music, so it's absolutely incredible. I'm under no illusions about being big-time, but I'm truly happy where I am now, and I trust that wherever God wants me to be, he'll put me there. I'm just so excited about the opportunity I have to be a witness through my music, and I can't wait to see what's in store for me as a musician".
Away
Summertime's End Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you trace me into the sky?
And if I was the raincloud that filled the air
Would anyone still see you cry?
If I was the moment that made you smile
When all your colours fade to grey
Would you still hold on so tightly then
Even when I′m far away?
I'm so far away
If we could go dancing between the stars
Would gravity pull you down?
And if you were a lighthouse on the shore
Would you keep on spinning round?
If we could go back and change it all
Would you leave your life the same?
And could you just swear you′ll remember me
When everything fades away
If I was the fire that lit the way
Would your hope return again?
If I was the love that could keep you warm
Would you battle through the pain?
Could we be forever side by side
When the new world is here to stay?
Just tell me you'll always know inside
That I'm not far away
I′m not far away
The lyrics to Summertime's End's song "Away" are filled with metaphors that express the idea of longing to be close to someone, yet knowing that distance separates them. The lyrics explore different scenarios in which the singer imagines being present with their loved one. The first verse imagines the singer as a whisper or the raincloud, wondering if their presence would affect the emotions of their loved one. The second verse is more optimistic, as it imagines the possibility of dancing amongst the stars, yet acknowledging the reality of gravity. The third verse portrays a situation where the singer wishes they could change things in the past, yet the question remains whether their loved one would still remember them. The final verse presents the idea of wanting to be a source of comfort and encouragement, and hoping that they can remain connected despite any kind of distance.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer is geographically far away from their loved one, but their emotional connection still exists. The song highlights the importance of memories and remembering the past, while also embracing the present and looking towards the future.
Line by Line Meaning
If I was a whisper that brushed your hair
If I was a subtle presence in your life
Would you trace me into the sky?
Would you follow me beyond your world?
And if I was the raincloud that filled the air
If I was heavy and overwhelming
Would anyone still see you cry?
Would anyone notice your sadness?
If I was the moment that made you smile
If I brought you joy
When all your colours fade to grey
During hard times
Would you still hold on so tightly then
Would you still cling to me?
Even when I'm far away?
Even if I'm not there physically?
If we could go dancing between the stars
If we could live without boundaries
Would gravity pull you down?
Would you still feel grounded?
And if you were a lighthouse on the shore
If you were a guiding light
Would you keep on spinning round?
Would you keep pushing forward?
If we could go back and change it all
If we could alter our past
Would you leave your life the same?
Would you still end up where you are now?
And could you just swear you'll remember me
And could you promise to never forget me?
When everything fades away
When everything disappears
If I was the fire that lit the way
If I was a guide
Would your hope return again?
Would you regain your optimism?
If I was the love that could keep you warm
If I was a comforting presence
Would you battle through the pain?
Would you endure hardship?
Could we be forever side by side
Could we be together always?
When the new world is here to stay?
When things have changed for good?
Just tell me you'll always know inside
Just promise me you'll hold onto it forever
That I'm not far away
That I'm still a part of your life
Writer(s): Daniel Throssell
Contributed by Evelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Summertime's End
Thank you! I'm not signed to a label at the moment, so I'm just an indie musician. Really happy that you like the music. Hope you were able to check some of the other stuff out and enjoy it!
Summertime's End
Thanks for listening, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment too :) I like the acoustic version I did of this song way better though.
Colton Tindle
I've been surfing through all the Summertime's End music I can find on YouTube, and so far, this is my favorite. The music in this song is wonderful. Notably, 0:00 through 0:23 and 1:35 to 2:05 come to mind. That's the kind of music I am personally a fan of. Upbeat, dreamy, just like my beloved Owl City. Of course, Summertime's End has its own style as well. I love the lyrics as well, rhyming is important, and descriptive and imaginative words make me smile. :)
ThatFuckinGame
For Some reason I remembered this song back when people said it was the closest to Owl City. that was 10 years ago lmao. still sounds great
Summertime's End
Thanks! Yeah, he's an amazing musician. I love his work!
Lauren Sachs
I'm so happy I found this(: Owl City lost the ethereal quality of his music. You have captured it so well while still having your own individual style. This is my new obsession<3
nepali ganja warrior
Owlcity is still my favorite.no one can replace Adam young but this is also very good.as someone said below in comment section that it seems like Owlcity is becoming a genre. :)
Summertime's End
Thanks very much! I really appreciate you showing your friends. It really helps. Really glad you like it!
Bally
I'm not a HUGE fan of the style Owl City brought to electronic music, but I really like the concept. This has got to be one of the best conceptual pieces I've heard. EVER. It's simple, airy, and definitely has something reminiscent about it. Great job man!
Ceitidh Thomas
I love this song. It reminds me of Owl City (I LOVE Owl City) This is beautiful, I can't wait for you to become mainstream and get the recognition you deserve :) Beautiful music :)