Raised in Fairhope, Alabama, country singer-songwriter Summerlyn Powers grew up on classic rock and folk, from Creedence Clearwater Revival and Lynyrd Skynyrd to Carole King and Joni Mitchell. For Powers, songwriting is akin to sharing a story around the dinner table or taking someone along on a road trip to your favorite hideaway. It's about inviting a listener inside a new world, where they can feel seen and possibly even discover something new about themself.
For the artist, who released her EP The Hive last year, there's no better example of that kind of vivid storytelling than the '70s classic "Southern Nights," originally written and performed by Allen Toussaint and made famous by Glen Campbell.
"The reason why this song means a lot to me is it inspired my most recent EP The Hive," Powers tells Wide Open Country. "I love how this song just takes you to the world that Toussaint wants to put you in. You see the willow trees. You feel the southern breeze on your skin. And I wanted to have the power to bring people into the world that I would create as well — for them to enjoy. Another cool thing about 'Southern Nights' is that it centers around a riff that just repeats throughout the song. I was inspired by that as well in my writing for the EP."
Powers says her EP, featuring the singles "Always on My Mind" and "Healing Like I Am," was created in the hopes of capturing the soul of Appalachia and connecting with listeners through hard-won storytelling.
"My purpose behind this project is for people to be invited. The Hive tells the story of a wandering soul looking for rest and community," Powers shared in a press statement. "I want this project to feel like being taken on a windy path through backwoods Appalachia, and when you come to your destination, you stumble upon a celebration of people who are just as broken as you are, laughing and pickin' to a good time. I know from experience that telling honest stories, often the ones that are hardest to share, resonate the deepest."
