Article

This is my completed article for the double page spread of my music magazine. It contains a mixture of first person viewpoint and question and answer.

Country superstar, Summer Lynn, really has accomplished a lot in the last year. After her self-titled debut album reached #1 on the UK Music Charts and selling 1.4 million copies in the UK alone. The album also spawned the hit singles "One Works Better" and "Undermine" which both topped the charts in 42 countries including the UK, Australia and the United States. With her second album's release dawning quickly, she has her eye set on the United States, especially after winning the prestigious Grammy Award for Best Newcomer, which has increased a chances of success there.

Summer arrives at the Acoustic headquarters for the interview looking radiant, still casual, wearing a Superdry plaid shirt, a Jack Wills' cardigan, some Levi jeans and lastly, some simple red converse. Even though it was 7am and dreary day, Summer's up-bringing and optimistic attitude made us all feel as if it was a  summer afternoon. After the short interview, we took Summer up to the hills for the outdoor photoshoot. Being typical England weather, I was expecting her to go all diva on us like Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift had previously. But I was wrong, she didn't complain once, she got on with the photoshoot with a smile on her face exclaiming: "You don't get this in Nashville"...

Your new album is entitled 'Freedom', how did you come up with the name?

"I was inspired as I felt that feeling when I left school and my childhood and moved to adulthood. This album is a lot more focused on my journey after I left home and living the dream without anything to stop me. I saw this as 'Freedom'"

Were there any issues in your childhood that made you happy to leave it?

"Well I didn't have a good time at school, I had friends but none of them really shared my passion  and interest for music, which in a way made it hard for them to understand me. I also encountered some problems in my last year of school when I had just got signed to Big Machine. But in a way, this pushed me even further by writing songs that expressed my feelings. So maybe I should thank those people. People haven't always been there for me but my music always has"

People like us worry that once you hit it big in the States you will cross-over to Pop music similar to the likes of Taylor Swift, is this true?

"Not at all, not even if its a last resort. The whole reason I write and perform music is because it keeps me going. Music is my fuel. I will always stay with country music, even if it kills me, I grew up with it and it'll always be a big part of my life"

How was it attending the Grammy's and the Academy of Country Music awards with all the big artists?

"It was crazy! It was such an honour to win the Grammy for Best Newcomer and to be nominated for all those ACM's. I met Florence Welch, Adele, Mumford and Sons, Carrie Underwood, and Kelly Clarkson. I was star-struck when Taylor Swift came over and told me that she enjoyed my album! I was in such shock!"

What does the future hold for you?

"After I wrap up the tour, I would really like to get into more film composing. Writing and recording 'Fade into You' for Silver Linings Playbook was a blast and being nominated for the Best Original Song Academy Award was such an honour"