Virginia-based artist Ryan Wright has concocted her own unique genre that brings together the best of bubblegum pop and grunge. Her latest single “Quarter Life Crisis” is demonstrative of this potent sound, as the artist creates the perfect sonic backdrop for coping with the impending feeling of aging. 

The singer, songwriter and producer shares, "'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.”

Congratulations on the release of “Quarter Life Crisis”! Can you tell us more about the story behind the track? 

"Quarter Life Crisis" was written on a very dreary day after I had just gone on a weekend bender with my friends while visiting one of their schools. I had this constant feeling weighing on me that I was only getting older and that I didn’t feel that spark of fun anymore when it came to going out with my friends because in the back of my mind, it was never going to be spontaneous again because I was at the age where drinking was legal and most all of my friends had jobs or things to do the next day. I just really started to think about how I’m at the age where youth can’t just be fun and games anymore without the adult factor creeping in. I felt like I was having a crisis but I wasn’t halfway through my life yet and hence the concept of Quarter Life Crisis was born.

With the song detailing the feeling of longing for your youth, are there any specific experiences you had as a teenager that you would love to time travel back to and witness all over again?

Oh, boy. When I was sixteen years old and was super sick with bronchitis (I was on antibiotics so I wasn’t contagious anymore), my best friend, her older sister and I ditched class on a Tuesday, got up at 2:00am, and drove to DC to wait in line for The 1975’s show. We ended up being second row and this was DC in late May so it was boiling hot outside. I was living off cough syrup and lozenges all day long, but it didn’t stop me from getting in the pit. It was one of the best shows I’d ever been to and we got home at like 2:00am so I was up for a full 24 hours. The next day I went to class because that was the deal I made with my mom. Still worth it.

“Quarter Life Crisis” definitely gets you thinking about life and how quickly time flies. What are three things on your bucket list that you’d like to experience in the next 10 years?

I would like to land a big tour and see the world, I want to learn how to surf, and I would like to meet Brandon Flowers from The Killers because he is the reason I do what I do.

Do you have any tips for people who may be experiencing a quarter life crisis of their own? 

I would say to put yourself out there and surround yourself with spontaneous people. It’s always good to get out of the house and have a little fun even if you have to worry about the aftermath later.

You’ve expressed how artists such as Mitski, Momma, Veruca Salt, and Blondshell have been a big influence in your sound. If you could collaborate with any of them, who would it be and why? 

Definitely my top choices for that would be Mitski and Blondshell. They’re both just such unique artists that I feel I would mesh well with. I’d love to write with them. Their lyrics are just so out of the box and cut throat.

“Quarter Life Crisis” is from an EP that is due this summer. Can you give us an idea of what we can expect from it?

One thing for certain is that this EP is nowhere near lacking in pessimism, doom, and dread. It’s an ode to my catastrophic thinking. I’ve always sort of felt that I was born with my heart naturally broken and this is a happy record from the perspective of me, who lives with a consistently shattered heart.

Describe “Quarter Life Crisis” in three words!

"Quarter Life Crisis" in three words…dread, longing, fomo.