Interview: Suki Summer on Vulnerability, Romance, & the Making of Her EP ‘Lovesick and Sick of Love’

Rising indie pop artist Suki Summer opens up about the emotional journey behind her new EP, ‘Lovesick and Sick of Love.’ Blending dreamy soundscapes with raw, poetic lyricism, Summer reflects on queer love, heartbreak, and healing, offering insight into her songwriting process and the deeply personal stories that shaped each track.

Stream: ‘Lovesick and Sick of Love’ – Suki Summer

There’s a certain kind of magic in music that feels like a diary entry; raw, poetic, and aching with honesty. Suki Summer’s new EP, Lovesick and Sick of Love, embodies exactly that, offering a lush, unfiltered look at the many faces of modern romance.

Across six intricately crafted tracks, the rising indie pop artist moves seamlessly through crushes, heartbreaks, ghostings, and goodbyes, all while maintaining an emotional intimacy that feels like she’s letting you in on a secret. With soft vocal delivery and reflective lyrics, her music feels both diaristic and cinematic, perfectly suited for long drives, sunset walks, or quiet moments of emotional unravelling.

Lovesick and Sick of Love - Suki Summer — Lovesick and Sick of Love – Suki Summer

At the heart of Summer’s artistry is a fearless vulnerability that refuses to shy away from emotional complexity. Inspired by the likes of Clairo, Mazzy Star, Lana Del Rey, and Gracie Abrams, her sonic palette blends warm nostalgia with contemporary edge. Tracks like the breezy “Summer Crush” and the gut-wrenching “i still want u” showcase her ability to capture opposing emotional currents with effortless grace. It’s this duality, of lightness and weight, longing and letting go, that defines both her music and the emotional world of, Lovesick and Sick of Love.

What began as a pair of singles quickly evolved into something much deeper and more cohesive. As Suki herself explains, the songs seemed to flow into each other naturally, telling a story she didn’t initially set out to write. But it’s in that spontaneity that the EP finds its strength: each track unfolds like a chapter in a love story both deeply personal and universally resonant. There’s clarity in her storytelling, but also space for ambiguity, nostalgia, and contradiction, just like love itself.

As a queer artist, Summer brings a refreshing perspective to a genre often oversaturated with heteronormative narratives. Her lyrics, while inspired by specific experiences, transcend labels and identities, instead focusing on the emotional truth at the core of each connection. Whether she’s remembering a summer fling in “Marianne” or reclaiming her power in the title track, Suki writes with an unflinching sense of self. It’s this honesty, unapologetic and beautifully detailed, that allows her to build deep connections with listeners.

In this conversation with Atwood Magazine, Suki Summer opens up about the stories behind her new EP, the importance of nostalgia and authenticity in her music, and the emotional process of creating a record that feels like both a love letter and a goodbye note. Get ready to step into the dreamy, confessional world of one of indie pop’s most promising new voices.

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:: stream/purchase Lovesick… here ::

:: connect with Suki Summer here ::

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A CONVERSATION WITH SUKI SUMMER

Atwood Magazine: Your EP, Lovesick and Sick of Love, feels like a deeply emotional journey. When did you first realize this project was becoming something bigger than a few songs?

Suki Summer: I wrote “Marianne” and “Summer Crush” together and planned to release those as singles. Then I ended up writing three more songs in the space of a few weeks. Since they all seemed to flow together and tell a story, it made sense to create a cohesive body of work.

You write so vividly about modern love: messy, fleeting, beautiful. How do you think your perspective on love has evolved while making this EP?

Summer: I’m still a hopeless romantic. I love love. I think for me, my songwriting just helps me process and express certain feelings, but I still think love is beautiful and what makes us human.

Each track feels like a different chapter in an emotional arc. Did you structure the EP intentionally to tell a story from start to finish?

Summer: Yes, the storytelling in the songs happened unintentionally, but when I sat down to decide the order, it clicked that putting them in this order would tell a complete story.

Let’s talk about “Marianne.” It’s delicate and dreamlike, but carries so much weight. What was the inspiration behind that track, and who is Marianne?

Summer: “Marianne” is inspired by a holiday romance I had last summer. The guy was obsessed with the book Normal People and said I reminded him of Marianne. Our time together had a bittersweet ending like the book, so it felt really fitting. Marianne is me. In the song, I’m speaking directly to them, saying I could have been your own Marianne.

As a queer artist, how does identity shape the stories you tell through music? Did you feel a sense of freedom or pressure in writing from that space?

Summer: I think for me, I just write about beautiful people who have been in a chapter of my life. I tend not to think too much about their gender. I’m very lucky to feel safe and open enough to write from a queer perspective with no shame or fear. This is a huge privilege, as I’m aware not everyone is afforded the same space to openly express their identity. Love is love.

The production on the EP is beautifully restrained; it leaves space for the emotion to shine. How involved were you in shaping the sonic direction?

Summer: In terms of the music, I have worked with some fantastic musicians who have created beautiful music which I can write to. With vocal production, I’m very much involved. Neil, my recording and mixing engineer, and I work together, bouncing loads of ideas around and trying lots of different things out in the studio.

There’s a lot of contrast between tracks like the breezy “Summer Crush” and the aching “i still want u.” How do you navigate those emotional shifts as a writer?

Summer: I think because I draw so much on real life, these shifts in my music happen pretty naturally. It can sometimes be strange and a little challenging in the studio to go from recording something as upbeat as “Summer Crush” to something as sad as “i still want u.”

The title Lovesick and Sick of Love is so sharp and specific. Was that always the title, or did it come later in the process?

Summer: It came later in the process, but a soon as I came up with it, it stuck instantly.

Who are some artists, musical or otherwise, who shaped the emotional tone of this record?

Summer: At the time of writing, a lot of these, I had been listening to Clairo, Billie Eilish and Gracie Abrams a lot. I listen to so many different artists and am inspired by all of them in different ways.

“used to you” is such a quiet heartbreak. How do you approach writing about pain in a way that still feels hopeful or open-hearted?

Summer: I think for that song, I didn’t even realise just how sad the lyrics were until I heard the track recorded properly for the first time. I think I just try to write honestly and not minimise or sugarcoat a sad situation. I think we can reflect on sad moments while still appreciating the beauty of what that has taught us.

What role does nostalgia play in your music? So many of your lyrics feel like snapshots from another time.

Summer: A huge role for sure. I am a very nostalgic person, and all my songs are like little windows into chapters of my life.

Did any particular non-musical art forms, like film, literature, or visual art, influence this project?

Summer: I was inspired by a few books and films in particular Normal People, Call Me By Your Name and One Day. I was also inspired by the feelings that certain art I saw in the Uffizi gallery, in Florence, gave me.

Your lyrics often walk a fine line between poetry and confession. Are there any lines on the EP you’re especially proud of?

Summer: That’s tricky, as there are a few I really love. These are some of my favourites. ‘Did you get used to me, cuz I got used to you’ from “used to you.” ‘He makes me finish, but you made me laugh again’ and ‘you said I’m so like you, but if that was true I’d never do this to you’ from “i still want u.” ‘Maybe I could be your girl if we were in the same time zone’ and ‘we both read how this one ends’ from “Marianne.”

What’s your relationship like with vulnerability in your work? Do you write to process emotions, or to capture them?

Summer: I definitely write to process emotions, it helps me move on from things that I haven’t fully let go of.

Your vocal delivery is so soft and personal. It often feels like you’re whispering secrets. How do you connect emotionally to your performances?

Summer: I really just go into my own little world when I’m laying down the vocals. Sometimes I imagine I’m singing directly to the person the song is about, other times I just think of the situation which inspired it while I’m singing.

“outro (it’s nvr bye it’s jus c ya l8r)” closes the EP in such a gentle, reflective way. Why was it important to end on that note of acceptance?

Summer: Definitely, I felt the whole EP was a process of healing, so I wanted it to end with acceptance and letting go of all the other situations I had written about in the other tracks.

Do you find that listeners interpret your songs the way you intended, or do their reactions ever surprise you?

Summer: I think, generally speaking, people interpret them the way I envisioned, but I also think people often relate their own experiences to the songs, making everyone’s interpretation uniquely different, which I love.

You’ve been praised for bringing honesty and intimacy into the indie pop space. What does authenticity mean to you as an artist?

Summer: It’s hugely important. I think being true to yourself creatively makes you create better things.

Looking ahead, how do you see your sound evolving? Are there new directions you’re excited to explore after Lovesick and Sick of Love?

Summer: Just see where life takes me. Keep writing about things I feel inspired by and keep evolving my sound and trying new things.

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