MUSIC

Behind The Song : “Hostage” by Nicole Sumerlyn

Canadian Country singer, Nicole Sumerlyn, is giving us an exclusive behind the scenes look at her new single ‘Hostage’. The track is an honest, metaphoric, and unapologetic ballad with bluesy vocals, dark lyrics, and a clean modern-pop sound – all of which make for an engrossing listening experience. The journey from Sumerlyn’s entry into the industry to the release of “Hostage” has included over a decade of memories – like opening for Brett Kissel at the age of 15, visiting Nashville and playing at Music City’s famous Bluebird Café, being recognized as one of the Global Country Star Search Winners, and an early initial focus on defining herself as an exuberant and versatile stage performer at popular venues, festivals, and industry showcases. Known for her fiery and energetic presence, Sumerlyn’s many live shows have included the Calgary Stampede, and the main stage of the SunFest Country Music Festival in Western Canada.

‘Hostage’ was released across all streaming platforms on March 7th, and it’s accompanying music video will be released tomorrow (Friday, March 18th).


Hey Live In Limbo!

Nice to meet you, my name is Nicole Sumerlyn.

I’m a Canadian country artist currently living on the West Coast in Vancouver. I’m so excited to share a new song with you. This is “Hostage”.

The Inspiration:

The song was written almost five years ago, when I was honestly just new to the whole casual dating world. I was in a situation where I was clearly more into this person then they were to me. I tried reassuring this person, and myself for that matter that I was okay with it being casual so I wouldn’t lose them completely. However, it really was hurting me not being all in with them.

The meaning of “Hostage” – to me – is the feeling of being trapped in your own emotions. When you want to break free of something but so much is holding you back.

The cool thing about this song to me, is that even though it was written about someone else specifically, throughout the years it has become relevant in other relationships as well. I find myself singing it about someone new every year. Clearly, my dating track record hasn’t been great.

 

The Creation:

Considering the song had been written back in 2017, there has been a bit of a process on how the song came to be. The writing process with Chard Morrison was always a treat, but this particular write was us essentially having a therapy session.

Originally, it was taken to the band to add to the live set list. When we would play “Hostage”, it was usually the song that people seemed to attach to the most. As a songwriter, this is a great feeling. I would have people come up after shows telling me their own version of how they related to the story behind the song, or just that it was their favourite song from the show. Which made my little heart happy to hear.

We then took it into the studio, and at that time, it had a more bluesy country feel. When I was considering which songs to pick for a debut song to release last year, it was just about to be this one. However, we figured we wanted to start with something more upbeat, and save this one for a bit later in time.

Once we eventually got back around to recording “Hostage” again, it started to become a bit more edgy and rock based; and then COVID happened. So there was an obviously long break with recording until things started easing up a bit.

We took it back into the studio for the third time. This time we were ready, and there was no going back. I felt so lucky to watch everything unfold at the beautiful Armoury Studios in Vancouver. Now, the current version of “Hostage” is finally here!

The Audience:

I feel like sadly one way or another, a lot of people will be able to relate to this song. That’s especially true in this day and age with the dating and hookup culture.

I think the meaning of “Hostage” is something different to everyone, which is an interesting thought. I want people to scream the chores of this song in the aggressive and emotional way that it is and I hope that the audience will hear my story but also feel like they can sing along and get it all out!

Thank you for going Behind the Song with me on “Hostage”!

Connect with Nicole Sumerlyn : Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Youtube || Spotify

About author

Live in Limbo covers Concerts, Music, Film, Gaming and Sports. LiL leads the independent pop-culture and entertainment media coverage in Toronto. Established in 2009, LiL is now one of the best Canadian online publications focused on delivering reviews and news that ignites our passions to the world.