Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Autumn.
Hi Crystal, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve been a musician for as long as I can remember. I was born in Hollywood and I come from a long line of performers, so I’ve spent the last decade just sharpening what came to me intuitively.
My parents always encouraged my three siblings and I to sing, dance and write. They passed down to me the songs I love the most— Donny Hathaway, Donna Summers, Donnell Jones, & Donnie McClurkin, in no particular order. Of my siblings, I took most persistently to learning music and was proficient with the flute by 6th grade. By the time I was in 9th grade, however, I was too embarrassed to be in the concert band and was only ever half as good as I could’ve been.
It wasn’t until I moved from Stone Mountain to Oakland, CA in the 10th grade that I really fell in love with singing. I became a very quiet kid when I transferred to my new high school, and music was my only refuge. I’d have these after-school recitals in the bathroom at home every day for years until I worked up the courage to enter a talent show… My nerves were practically uncontrollable then, and I spent years in agony of disappointment that stage fright was preventing me from delivering a *legendary* performance. I look back now and realize I probably just needed more practice, haha.
When I went off to college, I joined the Fisk Jubilee Singers, which officially began my career as a classically-trained international performer. The stage fright started to melt away once I got a feel for that spotlight. It wasn’t only thrilling, it was fulfilling like God wanted me up on the stage, and I knew that’s where I wanted to spend my life. Later in my college career, I became Miss Fisk University, which gave me the ammunition I needed to become Miss NBCA Hall of Fame (aka Miss HBCU for those who aren’t too involved in black pageant culture.)
I was fully engulfed in that world for a few years, so it’s taken me time to shed the expectations of those more conservative public-facing roles, hone in all of the influences I grew up with, and find my own style. I try to sprinkle in tender elements from each chapter of my life into my music. Moving to Atlanta has helped me just enjoy life a lot more (I spent my first two years back here in the club every single day, haha), which has given me a lot more confidence to share my truest self with the world through my music.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve been back in Atlanta for a little under three years now (previously in Nashville, New York & the Bay Area), so I’ve had to shake off that “new kid” feeling again and learn to maximize my resources. At this juncture of my career, I’m enjoying the process of building a stronger foundation for good business practices. It’s so easy to drive yourself mad waiting on the validation of a “big break” and all the resources that come with it, but I think something magical happens whenever I do my best to create with what I have on hand. I dream of doing these cinematic visuals for every song I write, but I’ve learned the hard way that you will run yourself dry trying to flex a big-budget production on an entry-level salary lol. I’m still funding all of my music endeavors with a 9-5, so I’m making peace with the days where the only progress I can make is to listen to an old mix while I drive down I-20 to work in the morning… I try to truly enjoy my music without being too critical of where I am in the process of becoming a full-time artist.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a singer, songwriter and performer, but as an independent artist, those titles encompass a whole lot of other work, like producing, styling, creative directing, video editing, and more. I’m known for my sensuous vocals and clever lyricism, and as I get more comfortable on stage, I can tell people are falling in love with my showmanship. Also, I’m a fashion gworl so I take a lot of pride in curating an experience for the audience through costuming. I used to be obsessed with classic Hollywood romance films and those meek yet seductive mannerisms have stuck with me. For a new listener, it’ll feel familiar but refreshing. I’ve got a vintage appeal and many bi-coastal influences since I moved around a lot, so my goal in the industry is to just keep that authenticity. I’m honestly most proud of how my character has developed since I started. Especially since I manage myself, I’ve witnessed first-hand how grimy the music industry can be, but it’s only made me more diligent about being a good person— honest, hardworking, accepting of others, and sure of myself… The more I embody those things, the more I attract them with my collaborators. I’m also proud of being a big sister to two of the best and most brilliant women I know and a fierce mama to the naughtiest pit bull in Atlanta, Rashad lol.
Any big plans?
My single “Lil Mama” (produced by Michael John Morgan and Sangria) is coming out this summer. It’s a bass-heavy blues song about accepting the power of my femininity and establishing dignity not based on men’s desires. That sounds heavy, haha. It is vulnerable, but it’s also a “slap in the whip real loud with the windows down” kinda song. I’ve pushed myself a lot to embrace a minimalistic approach with the promo visuals, so I’m excited to see how people relate to it. I’ve also started taking acting classes this summer, which has opened my mind to all of the different places a career in entertainment might take me. I’ve always secretly dreamt of being on Broadway, in a biopic, or playing the black Snow White, lol, so I’m laying the groundwork for that now. Until then, you can catch me at your local show making people sing and laugh with me. Might even bring my flute along!
Contact Info:
- Website: crystalautumn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystalautumnn/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoLWzZrFtM0
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/crystalautumn
Image Credits
Echophotographix Bosa Nova Duan Davis
