Summer Rios: Rising To The Top

Let’s hop right into this single, “Fingers Crossed,“ a Lauren Spencer-Smith cover —Tell me about this particular track; how did it come to fruition?

I covered this song on Tik Tok awhile back and got a ton of views on the original cover, along with a blooper video of my boyfriend walking in on me and scaring me in the middle of singing that song. I decided it was the best option for me to choose a popular song when deciding on what song to professionally cover and “Fingers Crossed” instantly popped in my mind knowing it is trending on the radio and on Tik Tok, along with the fact it got a lot of attention from my phone recorded cover. So that’s when I decided to put it into action and take into the studio!

How then does “Fingers Crossed” either differ and / or compare to previous entries?

“Fingers Crossed” talks about basic relationship problems, and it compares to so many of my situations personally along with many other people’s situations, and I believe it a great song to spread around! As a songwriter, when you sit down to pen your lyrics where do you draw your inspiration from? I tend to get a lot of inspiration when it comes to songwriting from Nessa Barrett,Olivia Rodrigo and a little mix of Måneskin. Their lyrics all just have a deep meaning and hit me on a personal level, and that is my goal when it comes to writing my own originals.

What particular string of events actually led to your current signing to / with All Star Music Group?

As a kid, I grew up signing up for talent show competitions and idol competitions locally. I used that to help me gain the confidence to perform in front of people, along with getting recognition. Back in middle school, my friends convinced me to start a vocal account on Instagram because little clips of singing was trending on Vine, Musical.ly and Instagram at the time. It slowly started to gain views and I was getting DM’s from producers and music companies wanting to collaborate or sign. I chose to work with All Star Music due to the fact they were very supportive and looking for the best for me.

Reflecting, tell me your whole inception into music — When did you become interested in it? And, how did it all begin for Summer Rios?

Music is a very serious thing to me. I’ve grown up singing, writing and playing instruments my entire life, so it has always been in my environment. It hits a certain part of my heart and makes me feel in a comfort state of mind when writing or singing. I had a friend growing up who also sang and wrote, so me and him would tend to collaborate and hang out to make music. As throughout my music career years, I’ve gained a lot of friends who also have an interest in music and it helped me be more open and expressive on how I view music and what I want to do with my life involving it. From there on out, I’ve been focusing on music and writing and making the most of my career.

Now you’re a native of Ohio, correct? So growing up in ‘The Buckeye State,’ who all did / do you consider to be your strongest musical influences?

Machine Gun Kelly has been a big inspiration from Ohio because of his lyrics he has came up with lately.

In having said that, how do you classify your overall sound and / or style?

I would say my style has most definitely changed when it comes to my originals. I am producing now to my last originals I released a year or so back. It was more of a Pop indie vibe, but now it has switched to a Rock Pop type vibe. I like to have a belting raspy tone when I sing.

Switching gears here…

To date, what has been your greatest career moment(s), at least thus far anyway?

My greatest career moments were probably when my covers have gotten recognized by the artists themselves. Example, Justin Bieber, Andra Day, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Demi Lovato, Natalie Jane, Bishop Briggs and more. I’ve been invited to an Abercrombie and Fitch campaign to participate, and got the chance to meet Greyson Chance.

What’s an average day like for you?

An average day normally consists of me waking up, watching a little bit of The Office or The Hundred, recording some covers and having writing sessions via Zoom, going to my home job in my city and then hitting the gym right after work. I like to keep my days busy because I’m the type of person who always needs to be doing something or else I’m bored.

Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans…

I love to respond to fans DM’s and have personal conversations with them and get to know them, along with doing polls on my story to have interaction. I respond to my comments as fast as I can, and LOVE feedback and opinions (even if they’re negative).

What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?

I love being able to express myself and my feelings through music because I’m the type of person who sucks at talking and having conversations about personal things, so I prefer to write and sing about it. I try to keep my songs universal on the situation or topic I’m writing about, so fans can connect and think of it in their perspective with their situation.

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

I honestly would say to just keep going no matter what. I took a year long break from producing music to work on my mental health, and it was a life changer for me and gave me more motivation to continue on with music. Nothing will happen right away and that is the reason you should keep pushing. Music is a huge thing for this world and we need more talented artists.

Lastly, what’s next for you, Summer?

I’m hoping to release a crap ton of originals and covers within these next upcoming months to continue with my music, along with getting involved in a lot of collaborations. I’m going to keep going until I’m at the top.

Is there anything I left out, or just plain forgot to mention?

STREAM “FINGERS CROSSED” BY SUMMER RIOS ON ALL PLATFORMS AND BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR MORE NEW MUSIC!!!

Any “closing” thought(s) for our readers?

I love you all…and know your heart is beating for a reason <3