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Jul 11, 2023 By Kat Ramkumar Photography by Sarah Eiseman

Bay area pop artist SPELLLING (aka Chrystia Cabral) has announced the release of her new album, SPELLLING & the Mystery School, and shared its double lead single “Cherry,” and a video for “Under the Sun.” SPELLLING & the Mystery School is due out August 25 via Sacred Bones. This self-produced LP is a collection of re-envisioned versions of her own songs from her previous albums Pantheon of Me, Mazy Fly, and The Turning Wheel, re-recorded with her touring band. SPELLLING also has a handful of fall tour dates. Check out the songs below, followed by the upcoming album’s tracklist and cover artwork as well as upcoming tour dates.

Of the album, Cabral says in a press release: “With this album, I wanted to capture the ways that these songs have morphed. They’re like my children all grown up in a different stage of their lives, and I want to celebrate that. I’m proud to say it’s my favorite thing I have created so far, and working on it has really opened up new exciting visions for the future of the SPELLLING sound.”

The title for SPELLLING & the Mystery School was derived from a suggestion from her father who relayed tales of early Christian myths and spiritual practitioners. It also ties into Cabral’s former profession as an elementary school art teacher. “When I was with the kids, we were making art, sharing information, and creating these hypothetical worlds,” she says. “We’re just jumping into these realms where there are no real rules.”

This LP was recorded with her touring band—Del Sol Quartet and Divya Farias on strings, Jaren Feeley on piano, Patrick Shelley on percussion, Giulio Xavier Cetto on bass, Wyatt Overson on guitar, and Toya Willock and Dharma Moon-Hunter on background vocals.

“We’ve picked up little nuances from feeding back and riffing off the audience,” Cabral says. “Understanding what excites them and/or what makes people wanna dance more—we just become aware of those little things and make slight adjustments.”

SPELLLING’s last album was 2021’s The Turning Wheel.

Read our My Favorite Album interview with SPELLLING.

SPELLLING & the Mystery School Tracklist:

1. Walk Up To Your House
2. Under the Sun
3. They start the Dance
4. Cherry
5. Haunted Water
6. Hard to Please (Reprise)
7. Phantom Farewell
8. Boys at School
9. Always
10. Revolution
11. Sweet Talk

SPELLLING Tour Dates:

Sat. Sep. 16 - Oakland, CA @ Children’s Fairyland (Through The Looking Glass Festival)
Sat. Oct. 7 - Los Angeles, CA @ South Pasadena Masonic Temple
Sun. Oct. 15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Tues. Oct. 17 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Hall
Wed. Oct .18 - Baltimore, MD @ OttoBar

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