Demo Recording grant enables singer-songwriter Crystal Lee to honor old friendships and chart new creative paths with upcoming ‘The Melting of the Moon’ EP release.

Singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Crystal Lee – also known by her stage name, Jia – draws creative and personal inspiration from indie rock, alongside the desert rock, psychedelic rock, and dream pop genres. Her work interrogates lived experience and emotions, and opens doors for listeners to process their own forgotten feelings.  

Crystal Lee in a moment of semi-sunny repose during a recent photo shoot.

Offering a window into her creative process, Crystal explains, “I never deliberately do this, but it feels like I’m creating music to escape into a world of my own – planting my real experiences and emotions into an archetype of myself, perhaps as a means to help process them. I’ve always had a real fascination with mythology, so I’m very drawn to storytelling, and to creating more conceptual lyrics. I think it makes the result more interesting when you explore a certain subject in a different way. It adds the additional layer of artistry that I always strive for. There is a story in every song, and I hope that whoever listens to my music can relate to it in some way, or feel the emotions of whatever is being conveyed behind it.” 

As a successful grant recipient from the 2022/23 Demo Recording program at Creative BC, Crystal has had the recent opportunity to develop and share two stories with particularly personal meaning. Demo Recording funding enabled Crystal to develop and record two tracks – “Heatstroke”, and “Poltergeist” – first in partnership with the late local producer Olivia Quan at Monarch Studios, and then completed at the same studio by local producer and bassist, Erik P.H. Nielsen, currently on tour with City and Colour. 

With support from both the technical team at Monarch, dedicated producers, and a slate of backing professional musicians, the experience represented a meaningful learning opportunity for Crystal. Beyond these two tracks, the successful outgrowths of the partnership between Crystal and Erik, in particular, have enabled Crystal to expand the project into a four-song EP, The Melting of the Moon, which will see a full public release as a completed album on June 28, 2023.  

A reflective moment for Crystal in the studio.

When asked to discuss the context and significance of the tracks made possible thanks to Demo Recording support – both of which were written in local partnership with musician Luca Mattia, who provided the guitar parts – Crystal notes, “’Heatstroke’ is about having unfinished business with someone, and that sinking feeling of dread when you see that person in public for the first time after a while. Your face flushes: you’re so distracted by their presence that it’s dizzying, you experience heatstroke-like symptoms, and past resentment, mixed with embarrassment and sadness, bubbles to the surface. It’s a childish game – yet, it’s an experience felt and exchanged at all stages of life. I hone in on that feeling of seeing that person for the first time, and what that experience might be like.”

Crystal continues, “I wrote ‘Poltergeist’ in a transitional period of my life, when I started taking music more seriously. I had left a stable job, and started looking for more music opportunities, much to the dismay of my parents. I was also experiencing writer’s block, which added to my fears, since I had just quit my job to pursue a path in which writing was needed to succeed. ‘Poltergeist’ embodies all the fears and anxieties I had about taking this huge step, and the doubts I had about my songwriting, as well as my worth as an artist. It’s a haunting, paranoid, all-consuming feeling: a black hole poltergeist. What a time! I’ve definitely gained more confidence since then.” 

Crystal Lee in a recent studio recording session.

Beyond these two recent examples, who does Crystal create music for? And – why?

Crystal offers, “I make music for anyone who can relate to its lyrical contents of grief, self-doubt, heartbreak, and other emotions. And, whoever simply wants a soundtrack to their life. My music has a very cinematic appeal, and I think that’s what makes it quite empowering, even though it is also actually quite sad. I also recognize that, as an Asian woman breaking into the indie rock scene, it can be really intimidating to navigate. Seeing the likes of Karen O, Mitski, and Beabadoobee having achieved such amazing success in this genre is really inspiring. I hope to inspire other Asian women to do the same!”  

As an emerging artist striving to pair the right opportunities with the right creative impulses at the right time, Crystal looks back on her formative experiences with a mix of gratitude, amusement, and appreciation for her journey to date.  

Crystal reflects, “The first song that I ever recorded was a personal project that I wrote, arranged and produced entirely in Garageband. I could only work within my own limits, tracking vocals and guitar, using drum and vibraphone samples from within the software, and having zero knowledge of mixing or mastering. Yet, I was very proud of the result. The sound and songwriting from this first song allowed me to explore other areas of this space, and eventually paved the way for me to write and record the songs that the Demo Recording program supported this past year.” 

When asked to consider and reflect on the artistic and creative inspirations that have shaped her goals and efforts, Crystal’s response is immediate:  

Vancouver-based recording engineer, producer, and mixer Olivia Quan, who passed away in July 2022.

“Olivia Quan, who was the producer of these songs, as well as a dear friend and mentor, is my biggest inspiration. I could not have been more fortunate to have my first-ever recording experience with her, because although she was young, she has given me a lifetime of wisdom about music, myself, and life, and continues to guide me to this day. From teaching me to stand up for my own ideas and opinions, to always making me feel comfortable and seen, as well as being an Asian woman herself, it all gave me the confidence to believe that what I created mattered. Olivia took my songs and gave them life. I hope that whoever listens to my EP will hear her talent, and feel the visceral passion she had for making music.” 

Continuing this conversational thread, Crystal also shares some poignant memories of her Demo Recording project’s change in producers in the wake of Olivia’s unexpected passing in the summer of 2022.  

“Erik was part of the band of talented musicians recruited by Olivia to play bass on my record, and – of course – also a dear friend of Olivia’s. I remember meeting him for the first time during the first recording session. He was very funny, and very kind. He was a producer as well, working at Afterlife. After Olivia passed, he took on the rest of the project to finish what she had started. Everything was already recorded: it was just the mixing process left. No one was more perfect for this position than Erik. He knew her well; he had played on the tracks, and he was an amazing producer. No one else would have taken care of these songs with the same tenderness, love, and expertise.”

Erik P.H. Nielsen, Crystal Lee’s producer and creative collaborator, in a recent studio session.

Crystal recalls, “Erik listened to my ideas, and he’d also offer pieces of his own wisdom. I am grateful for his patience, wisdom, warmth, and hopefulness during that very emotional and ultimately healing process. We bonded in our mission to honour and celebrate Olivia through these songs: with that in mind, we were able to finish them. Without him, the music wouldn’t have been the same, and I am eternally grateful.“ 

As an emerging artist gaining increasing confidence in both creating music, and locating the financial support necessary for it to thrive, Crystal brought the conversation to a close by offering a few reflections for those considering an application to the Demo Recording program in the future.   

“The Demo Recording program encourages a strong mentorship between artist and producer, and panelists will look for evidence of it when they read your application. Because of that, my advice would be to choose a producer that represents your music, ideas, and artistic style well. Someone who understands your vision and can get you there, as well as someone you feel comfortable around.” 

Reflecting with gratitude on her own personal experiences in the program, Crystal concludes:

“You are placing your music into someone else’s hands. Make sure it’s someone you trust.” 

You can learn more about Crystal, and experience her music, here.  

If you would like to make a contribution of any amount to the Olivia Quan Fund for Audio Excellence, you can do so here.

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Photos and artwork courtesy of Crystal Lee, Erik P.H. Nielsen, and Music BC.