Smooth as melted snow, “Summertime Blues,” a new collaboration from Chris Lake and Sammy Virji, is a house anthem for emotional renewal.
The track blooms with pensive vocals from The Boxer Rebellion’s Nathan Nicholson, whose aching lyrics yearn to escape the grip of the past. His poetic musings on shedding winter’s icy weight amidst nature’s rebirth shimmer over Lake and Virji’s effervescent house rhythms, creating a paradoxical merge of melancholic introspection and infectious grooves.
Nicholson bemoans the bittersweet sting of lost time before belting a mantra for emotional renewal: “Memories are useless, I’ve got to let ’em go.” In the drop, his undulating vocal chops are punctuated by fizzy synth stabs, urging us to dance away the winter blues.
While house music superstar Lake needs no introduction, the new single arrives in the midst of a bona fide breakout for Virji, who is leading the charge of a stateside boom of UK garage music. With a brisk and bubbly sound all his own, the London-based beatsmith has blown up as he continues on a barnstorming debut North American tour, which has taken him to the stages of major clubs from San Francisco to Miami.
“Summertime Blues” is out now via Astralwerks and Lake’s Black Book Records. Take a listen below and find the new collaboration on streaming platforms here.
Follow Chris Lake:
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Follow Sammy Virji:
Facebook: facebook.com/SammyVirjiUK
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Instagram: instagram.com/sammyvirji
Spotify: tinyurl.com/4csrwr2x