Virginia-based artist Ryan Wright’s new single is an edgy, bubblegum-grunge instant classic. ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ is filled with grit, from its tense, rigid opening moments, through its memorable pop-punky chorus, and into its dark, punky bridge. The production remains just on the precipice between edgy grunge influences and that polished pop sound. She sings her well-crafted, often tongue-in-cheek, lyrics with a subtle sense of longing; an urge to return to youth. She describes the track as “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 singer-songwriter-producer is gearing up to drop a new EP this summer, with a theme of pessimism running through all of its lyrics. -Dan Peeke