In introducing new EP ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ the tone is set on her socials as “A period of uncertainty, reflection and deep soul-searching that many young people experience as they embark on a new chapter in life.” which Halle Kearns elaborates further as “What is my life?” In a truly literal sense, the Collins English Dictionary defines the noun ‘quarterlife crisis’ as: “a crisis that may be experienced in one's twenties, involving anxiety over the direction and quality of one's life” or as Millennials and Generation Z who are currently around this phase in life, affectionately refer to as the worry faced by the concept of “adulting”.
Halle first shared the news with us about her third EP when we spoke to her back in March whilst we were in Berlin for this year’s C2C: Country to Country Festival (read HERE) and she told us it would be “all about the ups and downs of being in your twenties, all the highs and lows, all the crazy things then all of the great parts too.”
Through the six track EP Kearns conveys the feelings of insecurity, doubt, disappointment, worry and anxiety but also the growth, lessons, development and satisfaction that can accompany them, which is experienced by everyone during this period of life. Through every track, the project portrays the questions of where am I going or what am I doing with my life through sort of yep I’ve definitely been there feeling, when you hear a song about your friend who is the only person on the planet who doesn’t notice that they are in a relationship that is no good for them at all or the pressure we put on ourselves to pretend to be who people think you are rather than the real you.
Opening with a sun kissed Americana melody that wouldn’t be out of place amongst the Californian sounds of the sixties and seventies, Kearns shares the first of three previously unreleased tracks as ‘Clothes on the Line’ offers a coping mechanism for this soul-searching to reflect back at more familiar and simpler times through younger times in a wonderfully poetic way.
The highly unsubtle message you want to share with your friend who is a crappy relationship and needs to dump THAT person out of their life by giving them ‘The Boot’ which she co-wrote with Aaron Eshuis and Madison Kozak is the track most recently shared prior to the release of the full project which precedes the only song on the project which Kearns was not involved in writing herself. ‘High School Friends’ comes from one of the core insecurities of your twenties and thirties where you are striving to live up to other people’s expectations and you find yourself dealing with imposter syndrome before the nod to the feeling that this is also a fun time in your life where there is also a lot to feel good about, particularly when the sun is out as making do with what you have and sometimes the simple things like ’Homemade Margaritas’ are all that you need.
Whilst the collection ends with the southern lullaby ‘Carries Me’ to demonstrate the spirituality and acknowledgement that this period happens for a purpose and whilst you might not see it but you are being guided along your path, it is the penultimate track ‘Settlin’ Kind’ which wraps the journey in a bow and pulls the songs together. The EP’s standout both lyrically and melodically, is the acceptance element of the concept where after chasing things and trying to escape or survive, you appreciate and accept what you are running away from.
Lyrically the EP fits as a concept project and the messages are universally relative because it covers feelings and emotions that adults have either been through or are going through themselves, then using a diverse range of melodic ways to portray them, you really understand where Halle Kearns is both as a person and an artist as she begins to embrace an exciting new chapter on both levels.
Quarter Life Crisis
Clothes on the Line (H Kearns, E Landis & A Petroff – Producer: Andrew Petroff)
The Boot (H Kearns, M Kozak & A Eshuis – Producer: Aaron Eshuis)
High School Friends (L Hungate, G Watkins & N Groteau – Producer: Jared Hampton)
Homemade Margaritas (H Kearns, J Hampton & D Wilson – Producer: Jared Hampton)
Settlin’ Kind (H Kearns, M Morris, T Howell & G Vogel – Producer: Andrew Petroff)
Halle Kearns will release her brand new EP “Quarter Life Crisis” on June 21st which is available to pre-save HERE. Following the release, Halle has confirmed that she will be back out on the road with Mason Ramsey this fall for the second part of his Falls Into Place Tour where you can find full dates on her WEBSITE and keep up to date with all that she is up to by following Halle on INSTAGRAMTIKTOKFACEBOOK.