Crystal Robins – A Wildfire Of A Musical Journey
Words by Steve Kelk | Images Steve Kelk/Supplied
Darwin Singer Songwriter Releases New Single ‘Wildfire’
One woman. Her voice. A guitar. A loop pedal. Some effects. That’s it. That is all it takes for Crystal Robins to do the voodoo that she does, whether it be playing in a small cafe or on the big stage at the Darwin Entertainment Centre to a full house.
Now Crystal has made her first release, ‘Wildfire‘, after more than a decade honing her skills performing around the country, supporting artists like Wendy Matthews, The Pointer Sisters, Boney M and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, not to mention direct mentoring by the acclaimed artist Toni Childs after being selected for the Darwin Entertainment Centre’s inaugural ESCALATE music development workshop.
“Music is a powerful art form with the ability to heal through songwriting & storytelling”
Music is not only a passion for this very professional performer – it is also her bread and butter in more ways than one. As well as performing, Crystal is a registered Music Therapist by day and firmly believes in the healing power of music. That healing power is also a way to connect with people, whether it be one-on-one therapy sessions, or a sold-out music venue. Says Crystal: “Music is a powerful art form with the ability to heal through songwriting & storytelling, as both a form of emotional expression, and very importantly as a way to connect with others.”
Having made the move from Sydney in 2017, Crystal has wasted no time in making Darwin her musical patch for live performances. Now with the release of ‘Wildfire‘, she is ready to take her career to a new level. The indie-folk track was shortlisted in the Listen Up Music’s Songwriting Prize in 2020, and she was accepted to perform at the National Folk Festival in Canberra, adding yet another industry nod to her collection. Crystal is the type of artist that not only puts her all into her writing and her performances, but also into the back-end of her work and running her operation efficiently and professionally – and it shows in all the industry attention she is receiving. There is a lesson there for younger artists.
“We all know that burning ache of missing something close to our hearts, whether it’s a person, a place or a time”
‘Wildfire‘ is a creative exploration of some of the many emotions that were brought to the surface in COVID 19-burdened 2020 – the urge to reconnect with people, places and times that can often seem so far away. Says Crystal:
“So many of us in 2020 had to make sacrifices which meant being away from family, friends and the natural wonders that we normally visit to recharge ourselves. We all know that burning ache of missing something close to our hearts, whether it’s a person, a place or a time. I am so grateful that I was able to use my music to deal with those feelings of longing that we all experienced throughout 2020. I hope that this song will resonate with others who felt the same.”
Predicated in her usual indie-folk acoustic guitar style with minimal vocal effects, ‘Wildfire‘ is fleshed out with keys and string-overlays. Pitch-perfect, her distinct treble voice sits just right in the mix. Her message of stoicism reaches through to the listener with clear imagery formed from her lyrics.
‘Wildfire‘ is out now on all the usual streaming suspects – here is a link to the song on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6JGyaryjNg59MDcj082zb2?si=XXxIS4hvRDGu1kN16V78ZA
*Crystal is supporting the world-renowned percussive guitarist singer-songwriter Daniel Champagne at the Darwin Railway Club over two nights this weekend, Saturday January 23rd and Sunday January 24th – do not miss this! Some tickets still available here: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/vsqv6/daniel_champagne_2nd_show.aspx?fbclid=IwAR319NMZFL8gDOYsM8ai-3hCV9cxStltvhRF9zhoJ2BffEkEPzsiC4kE-L0
Check out this amazing music video from Daniel Champagne to whet your appetite:
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