Upcoming Canadian country artist Nicole Sumerlyn is aiming to capture the hearts of music lovers everywhere with her heartfelt musical charisma & passionately raw vocals.
Recently, Nicole released her debut country-rock single “Over A Drink”, which has received high admiration from music fans & critics alike.
Now, this gifted artist has kindly taken the time to Fierce & Fabulous Revolution about her debut release, along with getting to know more from the artist herself.
You can check out what Nicole had to say below.
Hey Nicole, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself?
Nicole: My name is Nicole Sumerlyn. I’m a Canadian country artist and songwriter currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
I grew up in a smaller farming town about an hour outside the city. So it was natural for me to slide into country music. I’ve been in and around the music industry for about ten years – touring, writing and recording every chance I got. People have said from time to time that I’m a little firecracker on stage who is known for flippin’ my hair around. I proudly come from a hard-working, blue collar family. I spent most of my childhood either in dance competitions, or playing arrow roulette with tree branches in my backyard.
So if you’re the kind that likes having fires, drinking out of the bottle, and singing along to Johnny Cash, let’s be friends!
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Nicole: My dad played guitar, and my mom played piano. They put me in piano lessons at the age of six, so I was always kinda doing something musical. Dad also had two acoustic guitars laying around the house. One day, I was so interested in wanting to learn, so I learned two easy chords and naturally just started writing a song. This was around the age of nine or ten.
I started obsessing with writing songs. I would write them on piano, then transpose them to guitar when I got better. I eventually wouldn’t even practice my royal conservatory piano structure. My teacher at the time would have ‘talks’ with my parents saying I never practiced and only ever wanted to be creative and compose my own music.
The rest of my family is very musical as well. My aunt and uncle are incredible established jazz musicians based out of Toronto. My cousin is a pop singer/songwriter now living in LA, and my uncle is a producer in the electronic world living on Vancouver Island. These family members have taken their passions and created careers for themselves in the music industry, but all of my family members are simply lovers of music. Many nights spent singing songs around the fire!
Have you always known that you wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?
Nicole: Yes, one thousand times yes. There was never a time in my life where I didn’t think I wouldn’t end up in the entertainment industry somehow.
When I was six, Hilary Duff was my idol. I had a DVD of her on tour. My parents have a video somewhere of me mimicking being her backstage, and pretending to be her in concert. I even had a fake, pink, sparkly headset microphone that I would put on for my shows.
Additionally, I went to an arts school up until the eighth grade. So I was always on a stage one way or another. Whether it was auditions, theatre, dance competitions or the school recital, I was there. The stage has always been my happy place since a very young age. Up until I was twelve years old, I was going to pursue dance, and try my bet to be an entertainer on cruise ships. However, when I was thirteen I performed an original song for my school’s Christmas recital. The response was surprising and welcoming. I was then addicted to performing, but this time, performing my own music.
You recently released the brand new single “Over A Drink”. How did the idea for this song come together?
Nicole: I wrote this one with Jimmy Thow back in 2019 on one of my Nashville Trips. I walked into the room and as we were setting up, we were just bantering about what was going on in our lives at the time. Me, being an open book I started complaining about my love life and how the guy I was seeing at the time was a bore. I said the line ‘over a drink’ in conversation, and that sparked a note in Jimmy’s ear. The conversation easily just became lyrics, and turned into the song you hear today!
What does the song personally mean to you?
Nicole: I, like many others, am in this exhausting world that is dating. When I first moved to the city, I was 20. I started going on a few dates and quickly got irritated with the process. I hated how the conversations were repetitive. I always felt like I was at a job interview. ‘Over A Drink’ represents literally being over the first date drinks. I wanted to have a fun time! I wanted some excitement, some thrill. Let’s talk about something other than my favorite ice cream flavour – maybe hold my hand or something. I find the single to be a sassy, fiery song that I think a lot of people will relate to.
If listeners could take one thing away from this song, what would you like it to be?
Nicole: I think the message is to not take things too seriously. The single is an edgy, energetic song. I want people to feel like they can blast this in their cars and feel like they can let loose and just enjoy themselves with confidence.
Do you have any further releases planned that you are currently able to tell us about?
Nicole: ‘Over A Drink’ is a launching pad for what is to come. There are many more songs waiting to be heard. At this point, I am enjoying the ride that is this current single. There will be a music video in support of the song coming out soon! So keep your eyes peeled for that release. It’s a super fun video. I’m excited to release it.
What are some of the things you enjoy outside of music?
Nicole: I’m a pretty social person. Definitely an extrovert. Spending as much time with my family and friends as possible is the best.
I’m a big baker and I love to cook. I get the same feeling that I do on stage that I do when hosting Easter dinner. I love dinner parties and pairing my food with wine and decorating cute cupcakes for dessert.
Aside from that, anything outdoors. I come from a town where in your free time, there wasn’t much to do but burn rubber and drink beer in the mountains. So off-roading and camping are big for me. At the end of the day, I think one of my happiest places is simply just to be by any body of water. I get the most relief from life just being by the river or sitting in the sand by the ocean.
If you could perform a duet with anyone in the world, who would you choose & why?
Nicole: This is tough. There are so many incredible artists that I would be honoured to duet with. First artists that come to mind are Josh Turner or Cody Johnson. Both artists are full blown country with deep Southern voices that I feel like I could mesh well with. I’m a huge fan of both of them.
I know I’m supposed to only pick one, but I also have a dream of getting to sing with my number one inspiration Miranda Lambert. She embraces everything that I love about being a country singer/songwriter. I think it would be such a lively performance. I have the uttermost respect for Miranda and what she stands for as a female country artist. Her music is a big reason for how I’ve come to be as an artist myself, as far as stage presences, writing vulnerability, vocal styling, and keeping it gritty but still classic. It would be a dream duet for sure.
How would your friends describe you in three words?
Nicole: Loud, bubbly and caretaking. I am definitely the ‘mom’ of the group. However I’m not afraid to have a good time and invite everyone at the bar to come hang out after closing time.
What song do you always keep on your playlist & why?
Nicole: In the last few months, I’ve been obsessed with Tyler Childers. He’s brilliant and his songs are all masterpieces in my mind. ‘Nose on the Grindstone’ is currently on all my playlists, and has been for a while now. Tyler’s voice is wildly powerful and unique. Childers is a true storyteller. It’s refreshing to listen to an artist who is simply just about making good music no matter what the genre is or what expectations the industry has. He’s an easy listen but still has that grit that I love.
What is one thing you can’t live without?
Nicole: This may seem boring and obvious. But water. Lots of water. I drink well over a gallon of water a day. I have a 20oz bottle that I carry everywhere. I’ll panic if it’s gone missing.
Even when I sleep, I somehow manage to drink so much water at night. So yes, there’s my underwhelming answer, but my water bottle is critical for me!
If you possess one superpower what would you choose & why?
Nicole: I would love to be able to time travel and have a sub-power to be able to transport myself anywhere in the world in a blink of an eye. Being able to get around would save so much stress, and money!
I honestly also hate driving. Time travel would just be wicked. Going back in time and just watching old memories would be so awesome. Not so much living in the past, but I think it would be fascinating to go back and physically see the past.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Nicole: Firstly, thank you for taking the time to read about my life. It means the world to me that you care the slightest about my silly adventures! So, let’s be friends. I’d love to connect with all of you. Follow me on all the socials. And if you are a country music lover, then obviously check out my latest single “Over A Drink”.
You can check out the official video for “Over A Drink” below or listen via Spotify by clicking here.
Nicole Sumerlyn: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram.
Fierce & Fabulous Revolution 