SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — A Summerside singer is anticipating the warm weather and hoping to get Islanders excited about the season with the release of her new single, Good Like Summertime.
Brooke MacArthur, 22, releases the single today after recording the song and a four-song EP of original songs in Franklin, Tenn., at Off The Row Studio.
"I was blown away by the experience. They brought in professional studio musicians with guitar, piano, mandolin. ... It was quite an experience."
Off The Row Studio is owned by P.T. Houston, a guitarist for Randy Meisner from the Eagles, Billy Swan, Texas Tornadoes and Phil Everly from the Everly Brothers.
MacArthur was contacted by the studio before Christmas and travelled to Franklin and Nashville in mid-February.
She and her mom, Kim, spent a week in Tennessee while MacArthur worked with industry professionals on the songwriting and singing craft.
While there they also took in the Grand Ole Opry.
A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University in kinesiology, MacArthur said she wrote about 100 original songs since her post-secondary career ended last year.
"Music is always something I come back to, and I thought if there was ever a time to do it, it’s now."
MacArthur has been singing from a young age, as well as performing in local competitions. She made it to the finals for the Much Music Coca-Cola Covers contest when she was 14 and she and her best-friend, Lexie Drummond, walked the red carpet at the MMVAs as part of the event.
Fast facts:
- Who: Brooke MacArthur, a 22-year-old Summerside native.
- Education: Graduated from St. FX for kinesiology.
- Favourite movie: Grease.
- Favourite musical genre: Country.
- Current favourite song: More Hearts Than Mine by Ingrid Andress.
- Previous releases: In a New Town.
MacArthur said Good Like Summertime is the song she's most excited about releasing.
"It's inspired by a love story of two people in summertime and then having to go their separate ways and back to their homes. I was kind of inspired by Grease, with the story of Sandy and Danny," she said with a chuckle.
Drummond was one of the first people MacArthur shared the single with.
"Her new single is amazing. The lyrics are catchy, and I find myself singing it all the time. It's the perfect summer anthem – the kind of song you want to blast in your car with the windows down," said Drummond.
Following the release on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, MacArthur said she plans to release a music video that she put together after enlisting help from friends to send clips of themselves singing a part of the song.
"It was a lot of fun filming the music video. It reminded me of when Brooke and I were little girls and we would make music videos in her backyard, but this time it's to her original song," Drummond said.
In all, MacArthur said she has enjoyed the experience.
"It's been crazy. I was able to get creative with this video with my friends sending my little clips. And in Tennessee, after working with them, I just know this is something I want to continue to do. I've done some studio work in Halifax and I've played in garage bands, but this was a whole new experience."
Watch Brooke MacArthur cover Neon Moon by Brooks & Dunn:
For more about Brooke MacArthur, check her out on Instagram or at her website.
The link to her newest single can be found here.
