Free Cake For Every Creature Premieres “First Summer In A City”

My first summer in a city is a blur. I had just turned 21, and I stuck around Boston after college let out to intern at a weekly newspaper. My apartment was hot and mostly unfurnished. In the living room, I used a half-deflated air mattress instead of a couch. It was definitely bleak at times, but there was something exciting about it, too. With no school, no parents, and no rules—it sort of felt like anything could happen. Nothing ever did, though; I spent most of the summer seeing bands in muggy basements and drinking cheap beer outside.

For a new Free Cake For Every Creature song, singer-songwriter Katie Bennett reflected on her first summer in a city. She's singing about Philadelphia, but I can't imagine our core experiences were all that different. The fuzzy track, an early dispatch from the band's debut full-length, features a barrage of drowsy summer memories, each one half-whispered over live drums and a plucky bass: dogs, porches, tunes through the window. It's cool and simple, like a slice of watermelon on the hottest of hot days.

"I wrote 'First Summer In A City' last May in one shot, without much effort or thought," Bennett told The FADER in an email. "It was so sunny and beautiful outside, and the door was open. I had nothing to do but just enjoy the weather and the people coming in and out, and also anticipate having some friends over that evening for a barbecue. The song is an attempt to hold onto some of my optimism and excitement, so I could remember those feelings when I needed them." The song appears on Talking Quietly of Anything With You, which drops April 15 via Double Double Whammy.