There is a specific kind of songwriting that makes the mundane feel cinematic — the kind that takes a cold February afternoon in North Carolina and turns it into a three-minute anthem for everyone who has ever stared out a window and wished for something warmer. That Kind of Summer is exactly that. Written while longing for warmer days by the water, Pam Ross has delivered the first glimpse of her forthcoming LP Wait for It… and it arrives fully formed — hook-driven, emotionally intelligent, and built to outlast the season that inspired it.
Built around the infectious line “It’s a top rolled back, that kind of summer,” the track paints in vivid, sensory detail: beach roads, flip-flop days, sunscreen in the air, and the specific freedom that comes from chasing adventure without a plan. Ross performs vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, organ, and backing vocals while also serving as producer — a level of creative ownership that comes through in how cohesive and intentional the final result feels.
“It was February in North Carolina, which is colder than it is in Houston. I was missing the warmer weather and living by the water, so I wrote a fun summertime song.” — Pam Ross
The production is warm without being soft, the arrangement gives the vocal room to breathe, and the hook lands on the first listen and stays. Joined by Yvan Petit on lead and rhythm guitar, FJ Ventre on bass and co-production, George Hindenach on drums and percussion, and Franchesca “Chessie” Umbrino on backing vocals — mixed and mastered by Marc Frigo — this is a track built with care and executed with precision. The kind of summer song that earns its place on repeat.
Born in Pittsburgh and raised primarily in Houston, Pam Ross began performing original music at open mic venues before building a reputation as an energetic live performer and soulful songwriter whose style refuses to be boxed in. Country, Americana, rock, folk, blues, and pop — what she calls “Pam Music” — is a fusion that sounds natural rather than calculated, because it grew organically from the range of influences she absorbed across a career spent writing and performing from the ground up.
The industry took notice early. After relocating to Nashville, Ross caught the attention of BMI executive Rover Sovine and later country songwriting legend Gary Harrison, former senior director of A&R at Mercury Records. These are not casual co-signs. These are people who have spent careers identifying artists with genuine longevity, and they both identified Pam Ross.
Now based in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, her debut album When Therapy Fails (2023) established her commercial credibility immediately. Four singles reached the Top 10 on the UK iTunes rock and country charts. Her single Better Than a Good Thing hit #1 on the UK iTunes Folk/Rock chart and won the New Music Challenge on Nashville’s WHNE 101.3. Two Shots of Tequila climbed to #2 on Bandwagon Network Radio and #21 on the Cashbox Magazine Americana chart. That is not a debut — that is a statement.
The 2024 Josie Music Awards named Pam Ross Female Multi-Genre Artist of the Year — one of the most competitive categories in independent music because it requires an artist to demonstrate mastery across styles rather than depth in one. Ross won it because her catalogue earns it. Inscriber Magazine named When Therapy Fails one of the best indie albums of the year. The Who’s Hoo Country Music Awards gave her Musician of the Year in 2023. The Independent Music Network Awards made her Fan Favorite.
These aren’t industry insider accolades handed out in back rooms. They are community-driven recognitions from listeners and industry peers who evaluated the work on its own terms. Pam Ross wins awards because she makes music that deserves them.
That Kind of Summer is the first single from Wait for It… — and if the rest of the LP matches this opening statement, Pam Ross is about to have her biggest year yet. The track is immediately accessible without being disposable, emotionally resonant without being overwrought, and produced with the kind of craft that holds up across multiple listens.
The forthcoming LP title tells you everything about where she is as an artist: Wait for It… is a promise. Based on everything in her catalogue to date, it’s a promise worth believing.
