From The Road: Summer Salt
SUMMER SALT JUST WRAPPED A SUN-SOAKED SPRING TOUR, spreading their signature brand of dreamy soundscapes alongside Mom Jeans and Hunny. But fear not, fellow chillwave enthusiasts – these guys are already gearing up for a massive fall tour celebrating a decade since their debut EP Driving to Hawaii.
Known for weaving hazy melodies and laid-back vibes, Summer Salt's music has resonated with fans for a cool ten years. This recent tour solidified that connection, and to capture the magic of life on the road, we teamed up with Lomography to send the band a special Lomo’Instant Automat camera. This unique instant camera uses Fujifilm Instax film to capture fleeting moments with a distinctive, dreamlike quality – a perfect match for Summer Salt's sound.
Lomography isn't your average instant camera experience. Founded on the principles of creative experimentation, Lomography champions a unique aesthetic. Their instant film and cameras, like the Lomo’Instant Automat Summer Salt used on tour, capture photos with a lo-fi, dreamlike quality. Think soft focus, unexpected light leaks, and vibrant colors – a perfect fit for capturing the authentic, anything-goes spirit of life on the road.
Read below to learn more about the band’s recent tour experience, their upcoming plans for fall's "Driving to Hawaii" anniversary tour, and the stories behind some of the captivating polaroid photos captured on their Lomo’Instant Automat.
LUNA: How did your most recent spring tour go? What are some of your biggest takeaways from the experience?
SUMMER SALT: The last tour we just did was great! We were a supporting act on Mom Jeans’ tour alongside Hunny! It was very fun hanging with the other bands! It’s always so nice when we see our own fans during a support run! I think one of the biggest takeaways are remembering even if we are support that there are people who are listening and that makes us play our best when we hit the stage!
LUNA: Fans loved some of the newer tracks live! Were there any songs that surprised you with the audience response?
SUMMER SALT: It was a surprise to see fans eager to hear our new song “Poolside” which was released while we were on tour! It was fun seeing fans post stories of that song even before it was released and others asking “what song is that?”.
LUNA: You’re celebrating 10 years of your first release as a band, Driving to Hawaii and will be hitting the road to celebrate later this fall. What can fans expect from this tour compared to the one you just wrapped up?
SUMMER SALT: This next tour will be different than the one we just did because it will be our headlining tour! It is also a big celebration of our EP Driving to Hawaii so we will play all the songs from the EP as well as our other songs - The tour will be themed after the EP! Things like new merch and stage props that embody our first project that us as a band and fans can both appreciate :)
LUNA: How did you adapt the chill vibes of your music for a live setting while keeping the energy high?
SUMMER SALT: We like to think of our sound as dynamic ~ We love playing soft and delicate and then rising into loud/energetic moments! Some of our songs are much slower and calmer while we have some where we are jumping around on stage! We tried to maintain a good balance of the two on this last tour we did.
LUNA: Summer Salt concerts are known for their positive atmosphere. What did you enjoy most about interacting with fans on the tour?
SUMMER SALT: We appreciate that! We love interacting with fans whether they have been supporting us or they are new to our music! Our most enjoyable moments are probably when we are able to interact with fans after the set. We get to converse about future plans with the band and give fans a sneak peak into what is next. It’s also really nice to get to hear about how our music has impacted their lives or why one of our songs is a song that they cherish - these are the most beautiful moments.
LUNA: Tell a story behind one of the instant photos.
SUMMER SALT: This photo was taken after one of our sound checks! Our TM Risa rallied us together to take some group photos as it is a little tricky to capture these since we all live in different cities. We walked around a while trying to find some fun places for pictures. We ended up finding a spot and we were goofing around striking some poses and taking photos.
LUNA: What did a typical show day look like?
SUMMER SALT: A typical day on this tour looked like…
Wake up early and start driving
Arrive to the venue for load in
Wait a couple hours until sound check (usually go get food/walk around/sleep)
Food and hanging with other bands until doors
Hang out with each other in the green rooms
Get ready for our set do our little pre show rituals!
Play our set!
Pack our gear/load out
Late night snack?
Drive to our hotel/airbnb and sleep!
Rinse and repeat :)
LUNA: Any standout cities?
SUMMER SALT: Vancouver was a city that stood out to us this tour! I think there is a lot of love for us out there and would love to go back to play our own show there soon! Tampa was also another city that was really fun! Every city we went to was great!
LUNA: With this tour wrapped up and a big tour in the fall, what’s next for Summer Salt?
SUMMER SALT: In-between the tours we have an EP we are releasing called “Electrolytes”. We already released the first single “Poolside”. We will be recording new music during the summer and after our big tour in the fall! So in short we will be writing, recording, and getting ready for new music :)
