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

Beck with The BBC Concert Orchestra @ The Royal Albert Hall (Kalpesh Patel)

Beck Is Transcendent With The BBC Concert Orchestra At The Royal Albert Hall

“I sorta dug through all my songs that had strings on them. Usually how it goes is they kinda just do strings on top of the hits, but these were actually strings on all the records” Beck David Hansen states part way through what is, a truly magical evening of music, departing from the norm and going with his gut, in true Beck style.

Leonie Jakobi (Anchor and Pine Collective)

Leonie Jakobi Shares New Single ‘So Much Love To Give’

Leonie Jakobi’s recent single I Deserve To Shine earned her biggest spread of UK coverage to date, building on previous airplay support from 6 Music, BBC Introducing. Her contagious positivity and new generation take on classic rock sounds inspired that new wave of discovery, and those traits again stand proud as she shares her new single So Much Love To Give and announces that she will release her debut album What Are The People Gonna Say? on the 5th September 2025. 

The Jacques (Nick Sayers)

The Jacques Share New Single ‘Dead Man’s Garden’

The Jacques have make a compelling start as they power towards the11th July release of their second album Make Repetition!. Its first single, Via Dolorosa, had a spotlight moment with a 6 Music play from Chris Hawkins at 6 Music. The single was soon followed by the news that The Jacques will tour Europe as special guests to post-punk legends Public Image Ltd.

JP Saxe @ Shepherd's Bush Empire (Kalpesh Patel)

JP Saxe Shares ‘Articulate Excuses’ EP And New Single

Multi-platinum master storyteller JP Saxe has shared his EP Articulate Excuses, part one of a two-part album out now...
Courting @ Oslo, London (Charlie Harris)

Courting Deliver Their Lust For Life Live At Oslo Hackney

I’m at the back of the near 400 capacity first floor live space at Hackney’s Oslo. Iggy Pop’s seminal Lust For Life...
Jerub (Press)

Jerub Releases Breathtaking New Single ‘Deeper’

Rising pop sensation JERUB has released his powerful new single Deeper. It marks the first release from the singer's...
Pigs x7 @ Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (Rebecca Cairns)

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Deliver A Thunderous ‘Doozy Of A Set’ At Wedgewood Rooms

Any band staging a ‘Headbanger of the Night’ competition during their set, must have plans to make a heck of a lot of...
Mumford & Sons @ Pryzm (Kalpesh Patel)

Mumford & Sons Deliver An Intimate Outing Of Rushmere At Pryzm

It's been a beat since Mumford & Sons were everywhere. From their emergence in 2007 and breakthrough debut Sign No...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing