• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Huntsville Doppler

Huntsville Doppler

Read Local

  • Home
    • All Stories
    • Community Guidelines
    • Get in touch
    • Advertise with us!
  • News
  • Community
  • Commentary
    • Letters
  • Business
    • Professionally Speaking
    • Real Estate
  • Sports
  • Obituaries
  • Public Notices
  • Lifestyle
    • Art Fx
    • Contests and Deals
    • Arts, Culture, and Entertainment
    • It’s All Good
    • Wayback Wednesday
  • Events
    • Event Listings
    • Add Your Event
  • Speak Up, Huntsville!
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • South Muskoka
You are here: Home / Entertainment / Briar Summers’ new single “Stronger” drops today
Briar Summers (Adison Powell Photography)

Briar Summers’ new single “Stronger” drops today

By Douglas McLean On June 18, 2021 Entertainment

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print
 
This post is more than one year old and may no longer be relevant. Please view this content with its age in mind.

Late spring is perhaps the loveliest of seasons. That Briar Summers, a Huntsville singer-songwriter and pianist, should be releasing her first single “Stronger” from her long-awaited sophomore album From the Ashes during such a season is as simple and as joyful a celebration as a clear, blue sky.

In 2017, at the age of 13, Summers recorded her first album, Rollercoaster, which garnered some serious radio airplay both locally and nationally. During her touring schedule in 2018, she began to write the songs that she envisioned for a follow-up recording that she initially planned to release in 2020. The pandemic altered most of her performance schedule and her recording plans but, fortunately, Summers was able to connect with three-time Grammy Award-winning producer David Bottrill.

Bottrill has been working with world-class recordings for decades, including a long tenure with Peter Gabriel’s production company. He has produced albums for a diverse range of musicians from Peter Gabriel to Rush to Smashing Pumpkins. Summers met Bottrill through a performance connection and kept in touch with him over the years. With the slow down due to the pandemic, Bottrill’s schedule opened up. He was increasingly more impressed with the range, depth, and universal appeal of Summers’ songwriting, and agreed to her request to produce and take over her stalled project, which she had already chosen to call From the Ashes.   

“The whole album itself is based on moving forward,” says Summers, “no matter what past you might have had, whether a person had a lot of trauma in their past or they are just looking toward the future. It’s all about not letting whatever happened in the past consume you; you have to learn from it, no matter what it is, and keep your vision in mind, and go for it.”

Briar Summers is a shining example of what it takes to “go for it”, as she so wisely states. She is a singer, a competitive dancer, a former figure skater, a stage performer — operatic and Broadway — a pianist, a songwriter, and the recipient of the 2017 Bill Waterhouse Award for Performing Arts, awarded by Huntsville Town Council. “The Bill” is a jury-selected award that honours those gifted performing artists who demonstrate commitment to their chosen field.

Summers is enrolled in French Immersion at Huntsville High School. She is studying piano through the Royal Conservatory of Music and is also involved with and studying competitive dance. In 2019, she used all of her skill as an actor, dancer, and singer in a local production of Newsies The Musical at the Algonquin Theatre.

Briar Summers (Adison Powell Photography)

Beyond these activities, Summers is also developing into a world-class songwriter, as evident in her new single, “Stronger”, written in preparation for her recording sessions for From the Ashes. Summers found herself, like so many, frustrated in trying to achieve her goals and, more importantly, to realize and fulfill her dreams to make her music heard and loved by a larger audience. “Stronger” is without a doubt a classic uplifting anthem. Bottrill believes her songs, and this song in particular, span generations — “Stronger” is one of those great tunes to be embraced by all.

It’s a powerful song, made much more so by the production and the exemplary performances by the musicians that accompany Summers on the song — Ben Riley on drums, Chris Stringer on guitar, Daniel Dennis on cello, Drew Jurecka on violin, and Jamie Bestwick on bass. Meant to raise the sprit and encourage the soul, Summers sings triumphantly that no setback or hardship can overcome our dreams, they only make us stronger. Certainly, most of us have faced obstacles only to find ourselves lifted up by the buoyancy of determination, renewal, and reinvigoration. That one so young should learn these lessons and then have the courage and articulation to share them is inspirational.

“Stronger” was released today on Spotify and Bandcamp, and will be followed by a new video on YouTube later this month. Summers is already busily managing promotional activities for the single release, and also the advance enthusiasm for the album release expected for July 18, 2021, pending the completion of final production elements.

For more, visit briarsummers.com.

Don’t miss out on Doppler!

Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!

Click here to support local news

Reader Interactions

3 Comments

  1. gloria schimmel says

    June 18, 2021 at 10:54 pm

    way to go Briar! so pleased for you

  2. Roxanne Driedger says

    June 22, 2021 at 12:11 am

    Wow! Wonderful!

  3. Patti Parker says

    June 22, 2021 at 1:16 am

    Fantastic article Briar! Wishing you all the very best on your upcoming release!

Join the discussion:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All comments are moderated. Please ensure you include both your first and last name and abide by our community guidelines. Submissions that do not include the commenter's full name or that do not abide by our community guidelines will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

  • Recent Stories
  • Popular
  • July 15, 2022 31

    Councillor responds to criticism of Kent Park redesign

  • July 13, 2022 23

    Kent Park redesign has been completed

  • July 16, 2022 15

    It is time to call for the Town of Huntsville to convene a public forum on short-term rental accommodations | Commentary

  • July 26, 2022 14

    Huntsville BIA to purchase three umbrellas for Kent Park

  • August 1, 2022 13

    Consultant delivers Huntsville’s new brand

  • August 11, 2022 0

    Huntsville OPP discover body off Crescent Bay Lane

  • August 11, 2022 0

    District passes accidental water leak policy

  • August 11, 2022 0

    Hwy. 11 northeast onramp at Muskoka Rd. 3 (Aspdin Rd.) to close nightly starting Aug. 29

  • August 11, 2022 0

    MP Report – Bringing a culture of results to Ottawa

  • August 11, 2022 0

    Muskoka Hornets alumni help the Newmarket Hawks capture gold medal in Halifax

  • A Sponsored Profile (347)
  • Advertise (1)
  • Around Muskoka (3)
  • Art Fx (48)
  • Breaking (36)

Footer

About Doppler

Established in 2015 by a bunch of local news hounds, Doppler strives to be the go-to source for people wanting to know more about what is going on in Huntsville and the surrounding community.

We strive to provide local news that is relevant and timely. We also look to tell local stories that inspire, inform and engage.

Notice the persistent use of the word local? Our mantra is local. From features on local people doing extraordinary things, to local business spotlights, news and sports coverage, all supplemented by provocative opinion pieces on topics near and far, we are working hard for you.

Feel free to drop us a line at huntsville@doppleronline.ca and tell us how we are doing, what you would like to see more of, or to just say ‘Hi’.

Thank you for reading Doppler.

Huntsville Doppler – READ LOCAL
A division of C3 Digital Media Group Inc.

Recent Comments

  • Kathryn Henderson on Speak Up, Huntsville!
  • Ron Nairn on HHS graduate gets his doctorate in astrophysics
  • John Rivière-Anderson on HHS graduate gets his doctorate in astrophysics
  • Ralph Cliffe on Visits to Huntsville Hospital’s ICU suspended
  • Martin Mann on Kiwanis raises funds and food for members of the community in need through the Salvation Army
  • Anna Bertelsen on HHS graduate gets his doctorate in astrophysics
  • Susan Godfrey on HHS graduate gets his doctorate in astrophysics
  • Allen Markle on It’s Wayback Wednesday!: Huntsville Welcome Arch | Sponsored by Jamie Lockwood, broker/owner of Sutton Group Muskoka Realty

Copyright © 2022 ·Doppler Online, a division of C3 Digital Media Group Inc. · Log in
  • About
  • Support Local News
  • Community Guidelines
  • Advertise with us!
  • Contact