Auckland based alternative pop artist and producer CRYSTAL has shared her second single of the year ’Break’ ahead of her sophomore EP ‘Dead Ends’, due for release on the 25th of August.
Following on from her first release of the year ‘Skin’, her newest instalment ‘Break’ captures CRYSTAL’s signature introspective lyricism. With the chaos of life becoming too much, CRYSTAL finds herself on the verge of a breakdown while dealing with the stress of finding a new flat, on top of working full time and pursuing music. Co-written and co-produced alongside Joel Jones (YAHYAH, Dallas James) in October last year, the track explores the days leading up to moving flats and how disconcerting big life changes can feel.
“I was supposed to move flats, and I was having the worst luck finding a new one. It got to the point where I was going to be homeless within a matter of days. The tenancy ended because the landlord was useless with fixing many things which were in need of repair, so we all decided it was best to leave. I was gutted because I felt like I had finally settled and found a home after being there for 8 months. At the time, I had a lot going on with working full time at a cafe and working on my music project. I was going to as many flat viewings as possible trying to secure my next home. I felt super desperate and vulnerable not having my parents in the same city to lean on for support. This time period really tested my ability to push forward. In the end, I found a flat two days before I had to move out”.
CRYSTAL will be playing her first Auckland show, opening for indie- pop artist Sofia Machray on the 19th of August at Whammy.
Te-Whanganui-A-Tara/Wellington-raised and Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland-based CRYSTAL made her live music debut in 2019 while studying Commercial Music at Massey University, playing Wellington festivals, Cuba Dupa and Newtown Festival, and supporting Australian artist KIAN, before ever having released music online. Her debut single, ‘My Flowers Are Dead’ featured on TVNZ’s body swap comedy series ‘Life Is Easy’, while her previous release ‘Expectations Suck!’ landed on Spotify's 'New Music Friday AU & NZ', 'Pop n Fresh', and ‘EQUAL AU & NZ’ playlists and featured on ZM’s Late Night Show.