![Goldrush Goes a Little CRAY [Exclusive Interview]](https://theelectrichawk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/goldrush-cray.jpg)
It gets pretty crazy in the Wild West, and with the infamous CRAY in town, Arizona was prepped to witness what she was about to bring. But before she headed off onto the main stage at Goldrush, we were given the opportunity to speak with CRAY for an exclusive interview. Discussing spooky season, fashion, mental health, and what we can expect from CRAY for the rest of the year!
seradopa: I’m seradopa from Electric Hawk and it’s a pleasure to officially meet you, I have been following you from your Twitch career actually!
CRAY: Oh my god, so you are like a day 1?
seradopa: I would say, like a year into it.
CRAY: Day 6.
seradopa: Yeah, day 6, let’s go with that.
*Laughs*
seradopa: So, I know you love spooky season and last year you gave us a special Blink-182 cover. Do you have any special surprises coming this year for Halloween that you can share?
CRAY: All I’m saying is there is a new spooky cover!
seradopa: Is it a band we all know?
CRAY: Yeah, it’s an oldie, but I revamped. It’s going to be really cool. It’s going to be the same as the Blink-182 cover. Just a different band!
seradopa: Again since you love horror and I’m curious, are there any horror bucket list goals you want to achieve?
CRAY: Yes, there are so many. I wanna stay in the hotel from The Shining, the Overlook Hotel. What else? There are like, a bunch of abandoned spots I want to go to. And a bunch of spots from horror movies I want to go to. But definitely, the Overlook Hotel is my number one!
seradopa: You don’t want to meet like, the Annabelle doll or anything?
CRAY: I don’t know if I wanna meet anything like that. It’s admired from afar. But I don’t want to invite it… I don’t know, it’s tricky man. You never know what’s going down in those places.
seradopa: I agree, I’m insane and I do wanna meet Annabelle.
CRAY: I feel like it would be honestly a good moment. But what if something happens and now you’re crazy.
*Laughs*
seradopa: Do you have any good traditions that you do during the Fall?
CRAY: I mean, me and Hayden always go to Horror Nights the day it opens at Universal in LA. We decorate our house and are eating candy corn right when September hits. We are not waiting until October. September means Spooky Season.
seradopa: Oh September, we’re in it!
CRAY: Yeah we are in it!
seradopa: Are you someone who watches horror movies every day?
CRAY: We watch every single day when spooky season starts, which is now. We actually just bought this new book, which suggests a new horror to watch each day. So like, that’s what we are trying to do.
seradopa: What book is that?
CRAY: I got it at this Halloween store in Burbank and it’s just 100 horror movies you should watch. And they are all in order so we are going to start watching through all of those! Halloween is the best. And with Fall comes sweater season. Everything good happens in October.
seradopa: We are all curious, since you are a fashion icon, where do you thrift? I follow you and see that you support some smaller Instagram accounts, with like vintage horror shirts and vintage style.
CRAY: I am slowly but surely trying to get away from fast fashion. I want to buy only from small businesses or re-worked stuff. I love taking old clothes and making them new – I really love that concept. I’m really trying to stay away from fast fashion. So that is why I am following those on Instagram, it makes it so easy. Because every time I go on the explore page, there’s always a new account for me to follow. So I am continuously looking on there and Reddit for new, cool people making their own clothes. And I’m actually trying to sew too so I can make some stuff myself. It’s really hard I realize.
seradopa: Instagram can especially cater to fast fashion!
CRAY: It does, all the ads are awful. They target me. They know it’s spooky season, here are all the spooky ads!
seradopa: Do you have any smaller Instagram brands you like a lot?
CRAY: I love Problem Boy right now. I follow them all on Instagram. I also love vintage thrifting. I go around a lot in LA or where I tour, I always go into vintage stores to see cool vintage tees and jackets and that type of stuff as well.
seradopa: How often do you go to vintage stores?
CRAY: I try to like once a month. And I try once a month to literally clean out my closet and donate back. Cause I get so much stuff sent me as well which I’m so lucky to get. But I have so much, so I try to give back so it isn’t just lying around!
seradopa: Have you ever thought about creating your own fashion brand?
CRAY: I feel like when all my career music goals are all met and I’m a little older. I definitely want to get into that space. But it would just be too hard to take on while doing my music career. I also do Twitch, you know. Too much all at once, I think I would really get crazy brain. I’m really trying to do it all one thing at a time. I feel like there will be a time and place where I’m like, “let’s do this, let’s do it.”
seradopa: Do you know the kind of style or brand you want to do?
CRAY: Streetwear, asexual for anybody at any time. All made in LA. Like good quality fabric. Like all this cool vintage patchwork type of stuff which is what I love to do. But who knows, in 10 years I might change.
seradopa: I know you are huge advocate for mental health and love having your door open. What made you want to reach out and let your followers know you have an open door, where they can talk and share feelings?
CRAY: I feel like as someone who is also a consumer as well before I did music, I was just wishing more of my idols would open up more about that kind of stuff. Like I just kept thinking that everyone is so perfect. I kept thinking everyone in this artist space and everyone who was famous or successful like that was so perfect because they never posted about that kind of stuff. So it kind of made me feel really alone. And so when I started getting my own following, I really wanted to make sure that everyone felt included and knows the truth about everything. This life is incredible and I’m so blessed, but there are a lot of things people don’t know. But I want them to know that they aren’t alone in the way they feel and that mental health is really real.
And I feel like social media it’s so easy to only show the positives. It’s like, “look how amazing her life looks, her life looks so amazing and glamorous,” but it really isn’t all the time. So I want my fans to be able to relate and be like, “I can do my dream and also, you know, have depression and battle that. I’m not alone.” You don’t have to be perfect to do your dream.
I never felt like that as a kid, I never really related to any celebrity. There were so above me, I never really saw their true side of mental health. And I think it is very important to normalize the conversation to show everyone that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s something we all deal with, I think, collectively as humans.
seradopa: Is there anything you advocate for to make mental health more accessible, besides opening the conversation. Like making therapy more affordable, for example?
CRAY: Yeah it’s so hard cause every single country is different. Like health care in America isn’t free, it’s very expensive to have that right to do therapy. There are some free resources, but there are not enough. I just want to get to a place where even just being able to say, “I’m not okay” or “I’m going through a really hard time” is normalized and it’s okay to ask for help. I feel like asking for help is still very scary and hard for people to do. I just want everyone to know that their biggest idols ask for help and go to therapy, too. So maybe they will also have the courage to ask for help.
seradopa: And I know recently you were diagnosed autism. You did a quick Twitch chat, how was it opening up about that?
CRAY: It was a little scary opening up. Being vulnerable, you know, I made myself an easy target. But I wanted to normalize the conversation and wanted people to be more comfortable discussing it and understanding who I am and what I’m about. I’m proud of who I am and want people with Autism to see the different side of it. Every day there is so much negative stigma attached to it and I wanted to change the conversation, educated on it, and help normalize things.
seradopa: Yeah I agree. Has it been freeing for you? You mentioned in a Twitter post that you felt more acceptance, now, knowing who you are.
CRAY: Yeah like getting answers! I feel like for a long time I was just really confused about my place in the world and I didn’t really feel like I belonged anywhere. And I felt like I was really struggling when a lot of people around me weren’t. It was really refreshing to be able to just know that I’m not crazy and that my brain is just wired differently. And that’s how it’s going to be. It took a big weight off my shoulders, I guess. I just accepted who I am and I’ll be able to learn who I am and love who I am compared to not knowing and just being weird and alone. So it gave me that purpose.
seradopa: I’m glad you are feeling comfortable with yourself and have more answers!
CRAY: Exactly, it also helped me know the tools to ask for. And help me know the resources to get the help that I need. Because I was looking in all the wrong places since I didn’t know.
seradopa: Last question, I know you have been working on music since your tour. Is there anything you are working on releasing? You asked for a kid chorus and everything.
CRAY: Yes! I just recorded some kids the other day. All my favorite songs I have ever written are all in my hands. And they are all coming out this year. I’m so excited, it’s like the new stepping stone for CRAY. It is the next level for CRAY. And I am so excited to share it with the world, I have been working on it all for like four years now. And now, I get to just barf it into the world!
seradopa: Alright! So we are excepting it before the end of this year?
CRAY: There is going to be music this year!
seradopa: Wow!! You put out your last EP like two years ago in October!
CRAY: I know it’s crazy! It’s a whole new rebirth. A whole new CRAY stepping stone. I feel like every year I am stepping a new stone. So you know, it’s like the next step. And also, it’s alternative, rocky, pop stuff – I’m really excited to sing and play guitar!
seradopa: That will be awesome! Well, I am excited to see your set today. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Arizona. It was a pleasure to talk to you!
CRAY: I appreciate it! Thank you!
It was an extraordinary pleasure to interview CRAY at Goldrush! Definitely appreciate the love and support from Relentless Beats. And we are excited to see what CRAY has in store for us this spooky season and the rest of the year!
Keep Up with CRAY
Soundcloud | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | TikTok | Twitch
Stay Connected with Goldrush Music Festival:
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Looking for new music? Keep up with our weekly Spotify Playlist, Fresh Hunts. Updated every Friday with all the latest releases. Whether it’s the newest drops from CRAY, all your favorite artists, some old-school, or underground…we just want you to hear it.
From September 15 to October 15, the United States recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a time to celebrate the vibrant Hispanic and Latinx cultures and to uplift our neighbors from those communities. Also, this offers an opportunity to learn about the innumerable different Hispanic and Latinx influences on music. Check out this article for an overview of the long, rich history of Hispanic and Latinx music over the centuries.
