Ryan Wright Navigates Her Quarter Life Crisis

by | May 1, 2024

Virginia-based singer/songwriter/producer Ryan Wright creates songs that don’t make sense on paper – an ethereal voice singing angsty lyrics over confectionary synth-driven hooks. Her lyrics – at times profane, often tongue-in-cheek, occasionally devastating – reveal a searing wit and a sensitive heart. Her arresting voice embodies the kind of teenage heartache that is deeply personal and yet universal and timeless.

Ryan Wright

Ryan Wright (Press)
Ryan Wright (Press)

Her latest single, Quarter Life Crisis marks a new direction for Wright, as she ventures from clean indie guitars and crunchy production, married with a Roy Orbison-esque melody, into a bubble grunge sound with punky production and an edge that cuts deep. Heavily influenced by female artists like Mitski, Momma, Veruca Salt, and Blondshell, the result is a crossover between the grunge production of the 90s and the very female led category of bubblegum pop.

Wright confides: “Quarter Life Crisis is the very essence of what it feels like to be in your early 20s to mid thirties. Although the age gap is vast, the feelings are mutual because in reality it’s not easy to become an independent adult. The song nurtures the very real feelings of the fear of becoming an adult and falling further and further away from youth. The song has a bit of longing that still clings to the urge to act young and dumb like you did as a teenager, but you’re stuck in your twenties feeling like your life is maturing way faster than you are. Quarter Life Crisis is the anthem for the trials and tribulations of aging.”

Listen to Quarter Life Crisis below:

Quarter Life Crisis is off of her upcoming EP due this summer, where the theme of pessimism rings throughout all of the songs. Wright shares: “All of the lyrics are about conflicted feelings of wanting the good but hoping for the worst at the same time, wanting to feel secure in your relationships and in yourself, but also craving the drama and the downfalls; the trials and tribulations of a narcissist.”

Blondshell’s MOTH Club Turn: Also Very Enjoyable

Albums of the Year 2025

Albums Of The Year 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, it’s impossible not to marvel at just how rich, varied and boundary-pushing this year has...
The Last Dinner Party @ O2 Academy Brixton (Neil Lupin)

The Last Dinner Party: Brixton Triumph Caps A Meteoric Rise

The Last Dinner Party close out 2025 on a remarkable high, returning to London for a two-night stand at O2 Academy Brixton that feels less like the end of a tour and more like the coronation of Britain’s most talked-about new band. Photos from the first night on 7th December — captured by photographer Neil Lupin — show a group not merely riding a wave of hype, but commanding it.

Silica Gel (Press)

Silica Gel Return With Expansive New Single ‘BIG VOID’ As Their Global Ascent Accelerates

Korean alternative innovators Silica Gel have released their new single BIG VOID, marking another major milestone in...
D:Ream (Press)

D:Ream Announce First London Headline Show in 15 Years Plus Leeds Date for May 2026

‘90s dance icons D:Ream are set to return to the stage next spring, announcing two headline shows in London and Leeds for May 2026. The news follows the release of their acclaimed 2025 comeback album Do It Anyway, which marked a powerful creative resurgence for the duo of Peter Cunnah and Al Mackenzie.

The Last Dinner Party @ O2 Academy Brixton (Kalpesh Patel)

The Last Dinner Party Turn O2 Academy Brixton Into A Cathedral Of Chaos And Harmony

It’s a homecoming tonight. The Last Dinner Party step onto the stage at O2 Academy Brixton for the first of two...
Teenage Cancer Trust 2026 - Lineup Poster

Teenage Cancer Trust Returns To The Royal Albert Hall In 2026 With Robert Smith–Curated Line-Up

Teenage Cancer Trust’s historic annual concert series returns to the Royal Albert Hall from 23rd–29th March 2026,...
Sabaton @ The O2 (Catherine Beltramini)

Sabaton Ignite The Stage With An Historic, Explosive Spectacle At The O2 Arena

Few bands embrace spectacle with the conviction and ambition of Sabaton, and their latest live performance proves once again that the Swedish power-metal titans have elevated historical storytelling into an art form all its own. Renowned for transforming pivotal wartime chapters into thunderous anthems, the band delivered a concert that felt more like an epic saga brought to life, complete with firepower, orchestral majesty, and immersive theatre.

Wolf Alice @ The O2 (Neil Lupin)

From Dive Bars To The Dome: Wolf Alice’s Homecoming At The O2 Is A Career-Defining Triumph

There was a crackle in the air before Wolf Alice even stepped onstage, the kind of charged, anticipatory energy that only comes when a band returns to the city that made them. From their scrappy London beginnings to two sold-out nights at The O2 Arena, this felt like a coronation years in the making.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing