SUMMERLIN Set to release debut album ‘You Can’t Burn Out If You’re Not On Fire’ on 14th May
aaamusic | On 12, May 2012
Summerlin’s upcoming debut full-length, You Can’t Burn Out If You’re Not On Fire, will be released on 14th May, 2012. The album is a rallying cry for anyone who dreams of escaping their dreaded daily grind, and boldly shouting their true intentions to the world. It was produced by the legendary Pelle Henricsson (Refused, Entombed, In Flames). Sequestered in Henricsson’s Tonteknik studio in Umeå, Sweden, the band had the rare opportunity to pick the brain of an industry icon, who’s produced some of the most important recordings in punk-rock, metal and hardcore.
“He’s a guy I always wanted to work with, even before this band. He produced records I love” explains vocalist / guitarist Drew Lawson. “We didn’t want to go with somebody who would end up thinking we were just a pop band. It was mainly about getting raw and aggressive, but keeping our melodies intact.”
Borrowing a famous quote from Doors frontman Jim Morrison, the title You Can’t Burn Out If You’re Not On Fire succinctly summarizes the heart of the record—you’ll never risk a glorious downfall if you haven’t ever soared. Kicking in hard and fast with opening cut ‘Let It Go,’ the album projects a consistent message of hope, tempered with the ugliness of the daily reality our protagonists must overcome.
Going through several line-up changes since their inception, Summerlin have channeled frustrations of such trials into the songs on the album. “‘Sink or Swim’ is about taking the plunge and fully committing into what you want to do. It’s about taking that leap and committing to something, and what happens, happens,” says bassist Benjamin Jackson. “The song’s really about an ex-member who didn’t want to, so we wrote the song while he was actually in the band. He didn’t really know all the lyrics were about him while he sat across the room.”
Summerlin formed in late 2008 and from the outset they were writing material with a sound that combined pop-punk with the harder elements they also loved. The early growing pains and lineup changes ensued, but by summer 2009 the band unveiled an EP, So Make Your Move. Early tours began in the U.K. and Europe, climaxing with an appearance at the 2011 Slam Dunk Festival, alongside the likes of Less Than Jake, The Starting Line, Goldfinger, Anti-Flag and Set Your Goals.
Starting with the release of You Can’t Burn Out If You’re Not On Fire Summerlin are gearing up for what promises to be a hectic, exhilarating year. Extensive touring is expected behind the album, starting initially within the band’s U.K. backyard. Lawson says “It’s our debut album, so first we’ll be touring at home with this, but then hopefully we’ll be hitting the U.S. and Japan next. We’re just going to tour the hell out of You Can’t Burn Out.”
