Re-Creation Remixed: Lucy Dacus Covers Regina Spektor "Summer in the City"

Throughout her prolific career, Grammy-nominated artist Regina Spektor has become known for her ability to tell rich stories through her music.

It’s something that Virginia-raised, Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus admires, which is why she chose Spektor’s “Summer in the City” to perform on this edition of Fender’s Re-Creation Remixed series.

Originally appearing on Spektor’s Gold-certified 2006 album, Begin to Hope, the acclaimed track follows a narrator walking their local streets with an ex-lover in mind, bringing those lonely and nostalgic feelings to the forefront.

And while Spektor’s version of the song is mainly a piano-based ballad, Dacus offers a unique spin using the sonic shape-shifting capabilities of the Acoustasonic Player Telecaster.

“I think it’s underrated, and I think she’s underrated,” Dacus said about the song and the artist. “She’s a great songwriter, and I like how she doesn’t really stick to form. She’s setting the scene so well.

“She says she’s lonely, but really all the details are about the city that she’s in. She misses somebody, but you don’t really know anything about that person. So you kind of fill in the blanks about the relationship based on the details that don’t have anything to do with them, and you have to be skillful to still communicate something (like that)”

Much like the Spektor song, Dacus’ second contribution to her brief set relates to that feeling of wanting to be understood. While Dacus admits that she withholds some of the details of the full story, “Partner in Crime” paints a rich picture that any eager listener can ascertain.

“Partner in Crime,” which comes from Dacus’ 2021 full-length, Home Video, becomes its own beautiful ballad on the Re-Creation Remixed stage.

Watch Dacus in action in the video above, and click here to shop the Acoustasonic Player Telecaster.