Inside Lorren’s Dreamy Upstate Summer

Lorren’s Upstate Summer is a dreamy, synth-soaked pop/R&B gem that taps into a collective nostalgia for a summer many of us—especially Australians—never actually had, but feel like we did thanks to a lifetime of American coming-of-age movies. Built on warm analog synths, rich acoustic textures, and a standout rap feature from Lindsay Lucas (French Montana, Russ, NBA Youngboy), the track is both technically brilliant and wildly creative. Lorren’s warm vocals float effortlessly over the cinematic production, making Upstate Summer feel like the soundtrack to a memory you can’t quite place, but deeply feel. I chatted to Lorren about the making of the track, imagined nostalgia, and why a digital saxophone might just be the future of pop.

Hi Lorren! How are you feeling as Upstate Summer gets ready to be released? Is there a particular mood or moment you’re hoping listeners will connect with?

Oooo I’m excited. These next songs that I’m rolling out feel really honest and real, they’re the closest I’ve got to a direct translation of the original creative vision, so I’m very happy about that haha. It’s a pretty niche song topic BUT I hope that everyone will find their own way to relate to it. I think the overall feeling of missed opportunity and teenage nostalgia is universal.

You’ve said Upstate Summer reflects an American summer you never had—what inspired you to create that imagined nostalgia, and how did it shape the sound of the track?

Growing up, I always idolised and dreamed of that stereotypical American summer I saw on television. Think High School Musical 2, 4th of July weekend at the family lake house, etc. I wanted that ‘tween summer romance swimming in a lake’ type summer, and I didn’t really get it. That feeling has stayed with me for years and I wanted to translate it into something tangible to give it an outlet. Don’t get me wrong, I had incredible summers growing up as a beachy Australian kid! It was just different (and at the opposite time of year haha).

The collaboration with Lindsay Lucas brings such a playful energy. How did that partnership come about, and what did she bring to the song that surprised or excited you?

Lindsay is an incredible artist and wordsmith, and one of my girls! The end of the song was originally a completely different bridge section until Ruby and I were working on it in the studio one day and landed on the flute groove section you hear in the final track. I said to Ruby, “Wait, a rap feature would be kind of perfect for this?” and immediately called Lindsay. She came in and tracked the entire thing the next morning. Total boss. It couldn’t be more perfect. As someone who literally lived the ‘upstate summer’ I was singing about, she brought the perfect perspective, and with such effortless charisma, oh my god ?!

Your production style blends acoustic textures with synths and electronic sax—how do you approach balancing those elements so the song feels both intimate and cinematic?

I wasn’t consciously thinking about the balance as we were producing this; it sort of just naturally unraveled that way. We were working out of a studio that had these amazing synths, and I knew I wanted to use them, but I also wanted to bring an organic acoustic element to these songs that wasn’t necessarily present in my last project, Brain PainTM. I particularly wanted to use acoustic guitar, and I think that really tied everything together (shout out to V-Ron for laying that down, incredible). Also, the vocals sound so personal and exposed thanks to Ruby’s incredible vocal production. Yeah, I think the synths/my production style bring the cinema, while the guitar and vocals bring the vulnerability.

You’ve toured with huge artists like Harry Styles and Jhené Aiko, and directed for PinkPantheress. How do those large-scale experiences influence your solo work?

When I’m on tour, I’m exercising my creativity and musical personality in support of other artists and their vision – and music direction is an even more concentrated version of that. I love it. It’s a different mentality, it allows for out-of-the-box thinking, like putting musical puzzle pieces together. That has definitely helped me navigate and shape my own music. I think there is a subconscious influence (the physical experience of touring, the connections and friendships, creating through the music of other artists) and also a conscious contribution to my storytelling, and approach as a human being to being creative in general.

Your use of digital saxophone and FX is so innovative. Can you share how you see the role of woodwinds evolving in modern pop and electronic music?

I love talking about this, yay! I love producing and composing cinematic synthy things, and for a long time I did that with a MIDI keyboard and was always frustrated that the connection from my brain to my hands wasn’t as seamless as it was when I played my saxophone. That’s where the pedals started, it gave me a way to make cool sounds and unique textures while still playing my instruments. When I started using the digital sax (I use the Roland AE-30) as a MIDI controller, everything clicked. I was connecting it to all my favourite synths and drum machines, and I felt like I could create what I was  imagining without a physical hurdle. I’ve always loved the role of an auxiliary keys player, and now I can do that too – pads, lead lines, textures – both on tour and in the studio. It definitely has its shining moment on “Upstate Summer”, and the next batch of songs I’m rolling out.

If Upstate Summer were the soundtrack to a movie scene, what would that scene look like?

Ooh well, I mean… a stereotypical ‘upstate summer’ for sure! A lake house, jet skis, teenagers setting off fireworks and drinking out of red Solo cups by a bonfire, first kisses, jumping off docks, hot dogs – you get the idea. Oh, and also totally in slow motion… duh.
Lorren’s new single Upstate Summer comes out July 24th at 12:11PM (PST) with the new moon. Co-produced, engineered and mixed by Ruby Smith, with a rap feature from Lindsay Lucas.
PRE-SAVE HERE (Sign up to be notified as soon as it drops! You’ll also be the first to know about Lorren’s
upcoming releases.)