Stream: Quarter-Life Crisis, ‘Comfortable’ (feat. Hand Habits)

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Quarter-Life Crisis' Ryan Hemsworth (Photo by Colin Medley)

Canadian producer Ryan Hemsworth has built his reputation working in EDM, hip-hop and R&B, as well as being a remixer of the stars. But he returns to his roots as an indie kid with his new project Quarter-Life Crisis, which sees him collaborating with various indie artists on an EP’s worth of tunes.

The latest single, “Comfortable” (out this week), featuring Hand Habit’s Meg Duffy, is quite the listen. The track sounds like something you would hear in a future dystopian film, and something not entirely human is running rampant. That said, “Comfortable” does have its moments of consolation. The acoustic guitars, chilling vocals and eerie synths create an atmospheric sedation.

Regarding the recording process of the song and working with Hemsworth, Duffy says, “I had never done any sort of co-writing session before and was a little nervous, but since I had no investment, I went in with the intention of having fun and being open to whatever spirits wanted to move. We threw autotune on as a joke (half-joke because I can be pretty pitchy especially in the writing process) and it sounded kind of cool. I started thinking about AI and cyborgs and people/souls disassociating from bodies and identity and kind of just freestyled until a mildly understandable common theme started to swim up. It was really fun!”

Quarter-Life Crisis is a project that explores that notion of collaboration. Hemsworth also linked up with Hovvdy’s Charlie Martin in the single, “Waterfall” and Frances Quinlan of Hop Along in “Postcard from Spain.” Hemsworth says, “As a producer, I really respond to other people’s ideas and whatever they can bring to a song. Being in a room with someone with a different outlook, or working remotely with them, I hopefully help facilitate something that feels new and exciting for both of us.”

All three tracks will be featured on Quarter-Life Crisis’ debut self-titled EP, out Dec. 4 via Saddle Creek.

||| Stream: “Comfortable” (feat. Hand Habits)

||| Also:  Stream “Waterfall” (feat. Charlie Martin of Hovvdy) and “Postcard from Spain” (feat. Frances Quinlan)