Over the weekend, Atlanta act Bathe Alone released their new album I Don't Do Humidity, perfectly timed for the arrival of summer.

But underneath the shimmering, frothy exterior of so much of the band's music are layers of pain, loss, heartbreak, and ultimately rebirth and self-discovery, from the perspective of singer and multi-instrumentalist Bailey Crone, who collaborates closely with producer Damon Moon.

Crone and Moon chatted with Variance earlier this spring at SXSW in Austin, alluding to the new record, which finds Crone diving into some very personal aspects of her life, navigating her recent divorce and other unhealthy relationships.

"When you're in humidity, you feel sticky and weighed down,” Crone explains of the album's title. “Everything feels heavier in the atmosphere. It just made sense to me—to compare them to water in a negative way," she says of toxic relationships.

"There was a lot I wanted to say," says Crone, telling Variance, "It feels like we've been working on this one for so long. And it feels really good to finally get it out."

Adds Moon: "It really has been a long time."

According to Crone, "by the time the last record came out, we were pretty far into the process on this one. So yeah, it's been busy, very busy, working on music."

Despite the diary entry-like vulnerability of the lyrics on this new album, it's not about settling scores. Instead, it's largely very forward-looking. Perhaps the best example of this is on the standout track "4ever," which is an instant favorite, with Crone declaring, "This won't last forever."

And perhaps that's one way to sum up the undercurrent of this album. It's a glimpse of a moment in time. And whether good or bad, it will eventually pass.

"I'm always thinking about what happens next," says Crone. "We're constantly working on new music, of course. But right now, I'm trying to just enjoy the moment."■