Hecojeni “Summer’s Calling” (SINGLE)

In “Summer’s Calling,” the latest single from the indie duo Hecojeni, the season isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a metaphor for renewal, memory, and the fleeting ache of moments that can’t quite be recaptured. With its refrain, “Summer’s calling, lights are falling on me,” the song feels like a confession whispered at sunset — tender, imperfect, and achingly human.

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/hecojeni

Hecojeni, comprised of longtime collaborators Heath and Jeff, have carved out a space for themselves that defies easy categorization. Their sound drifts between alt-folk, indie rock, and blues-inflected storytelling, but what truly sets them apart is their commitment to honesty over polish. They make music for people who, as they put it, “feel too much and say too little.” On “Summer’s Calling,” that philosophy is laid bare. The song unfolds with a kind of deliberate fragility — no autotune, no flashy production, just the sound of two musicians catching emotional lightning in a bottle.

The track opens with Jeff’s understated guitar riff — something simple, hypnotic, and distinctly human. It’s the kind of riff that feels like it’s been sitting in your subconscious for years. When Heath’s voice enters, it doesn’t announce itself; it just appears, rough-edged and sincere. There’s a sense of nostalgia woven through every line, as if both musicians are looking back at summers past, moments of youth and love filtered through the lens of age and distance. When Heath sings, “Lights are falling on me,” it feels less like a lyric and more like a sigh — a recognition that beauty and melancholy often share the same light.

Part of what makes “Summer’s Calling” resonate is how naturally it connects to Hecojeni’s evolving body of work. Their earlier single, “Catch Me When I Fall” (2023), explored vulnerability and trust through intimate, stripped-down production. Their holiday release, “Christmas Lost Today,” revealed a knack for crafting songs that blend melancholy with bittersweet nostalgia. “Summer’s Calling” carries that emotional lineage forward — it’s both wistful and alive, tinged with regret but illuminated by warmth.

Hecojeni’s strength lies in their shared history. Years of collaboration — including periods apart — have forged a creative chemistry that’s both intuitive and unforced. Jeff’s riff-driven sensibility pairs perfectly with Heath’s melodic storytelling, resulting in music that feels spontaneous yet intentional. This song, like much of their work, sounds like a first take worth keeping, a moment that might crumble under overproduction but thrives in its rawness.

Listeners might hear echoes of The Breeders’ sincerity or Pavement’s loose, indie-punk rhythm in Hecojeni’s sound, but “Summer’s Calling” is distinctly their own. It’s jagged yet melodic, humble yet affecting — a song that invites you in rather than showing off.

As the final notes play, the emotional residue lingers — the kind of quiet ache that comes from remembering something beautiful that you can’t quite return to. With “Summer’s Calling,” Hecojeni proves once again that imperfection can be its own kind of grace. It’s a song for late nights and long drives, for anyone who’s ever felt the pull of a memory that still burns like the last light of a summer evening.

Mark Druery