Seattle, WA dream pop/indie pop/shoegaze artist Sea Lemon (aka Natalie Lew) has unveiled her new single “Crystals” featuring Death Cab For Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard.
The song is out now via Luminelle Recordings and marks her first new music since last year’s debut EP ‘Stop At Nothing’. Get it here.
Lew has always had a creative mind, whether through designing, writing short fiction or, most recently, the dream-pop concoctions she records as Sea Lemon. Her deceptively luminescent sonic world often hints at darker textures beneath the surface, and her debut EP balanced a cinematic clarity of vision with undertones of fear and longing.
For Crystals, Lew tapped Benjamin Gibbard, a preexisting fan of Lew’s who had previously reached out to duet at a benefit show in Seattle both artists were playing. The resulting collaboration sounds both weightier and more exhilarating than anything Lew has released before: in a rousing arc, the duo’s complementary verses are a perfect pairing alongside a whirlwind of shimmering guitar and the joy felt with finally letting go.
Speaking about it, Lew said:
“Crystals was written after I attempted “manifesting” for a good portion of 2023 and found myself feeling really lackluster about the whole process. I wrote most of the song after coming to this realization that “manifesting” or looking for signs in nature or everyday life is mostly just a coping mechanism to get by day to day. When Ben came on and wrote his verse, I loved his added angle—rather than attempting lighter coping mechanisms, just submitting oneself to being upset and living in that darkness for a while can be a way to cope in and of itself.”
“Ben’s contribution to this song is so exciting for me to say the least; as a huge Death Cab fan growing up, Ben’s songwriting has inspired me since I got interested in songwriting myself.”
Take a listen below.
Lyrics:
Going out to the creek at 2am
Looking down just to see there’s nothing left
In the middle of the month I’d be in a mirror
But tonight all I get is freezing air
I keep waiting on the line for a sound
Throwing crystals at the wall, all around
Convincing to go rogue
For things out of control
It seems that all I wanna do is sleep these days
And wake up in about a year and not feel this way
I’ve got the blackout curtains drawn and I’ve locked the door
‘Cause I don’t really wanna face this anymore
I keep waiting on the line for a sound
Throwing crystals at the wall, all around
Convincing to go rogue
For things out of control
Trade your face to count the ways the road behaves
You go, you go further away
I keep waiting on the line for a sound
Throwing crystals at the wall, all around
Convincing to go rogue
For things out of control
Photo credit: Ava Blanchette
