Crumb

Crumb, a quartet fronted by principal songwriter Lila Ramani, crafts dreamy indie pop laced with jazz and psychedelic touches. While attending college in Massachusetts, the group put out two EPs before shifting base to Brooklyn, where they cut their first full-length release, the dreamlike Jinx, issued in 2019. Their 2021 follow-up, Ice Melt, brought modest clarity to the skewed sonic textures, yet the ensemble remained characteristically hazy on the more animated 2023 tracks “Crushxd” and “Dust Bunny,” both of which led into the May 2024 album Amama.

Formed in the mid-2010s by Tufts University students, the lineup comprises Lila Ramani on vocals and guitar, Brian Aronow handling synths and keyboards, Jesse Brotter on bass, and Jonathan Gilad at the drums. Still operating out of Massachusetts, they tracked the three-song Crumb EP with producer John Scott and released it in 2016; the Locket EP appeared the next year. Following a string of headlining shows, they supported (Sandy) Alex G and Hovvdy across the United States in late 2017. The band then settled in Ramani’s hometown of Brooklyn, where they co-produced their debut album alongside Gabe Wax, with Scott contributing further production and mixing. Jinx surfaced on the band’s own Crumb Records imprint in 2019.

For the subsequent LP they gathered in Los Angeles under the guidance of Jonathan Rado. Though more polished, the sessions retained eccentric atmospheres, resulting in Ice Melt, which reached stores in April 2021. The rhythmically charged 2023 singles “Crushxd” and “Dust Bunny” reunited the group with Rado while introducing additional producer Johnscott Sanford, whose credits include John Legend and Saweetie. Both cuts appeared on the third album, Amama, released in May 2024.