Spellling
Spellling | |
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Birth name | Chrystia Cabral |
Also known as | Tia Cabral |
Born | Sacramento, California, U.S. | May 18, 1991
Origin | Oakland, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 2015–present |
Labels | Sacred Bones |
Website | spelllingmusic |
Chrystia "Tia" Cabral (born May 18, 1991), known professionally as Spellling (stylized in
Early life
Cabral was born in
Cabral attended the University of California, Berkeley, studying philosophy for two semesters before changing her major to English literature after feeling "shamed out of the [philosophy] department" as the only femme person and person of color. She remained at Berkeley to pursue a Master of Fine Arts, which she completed in 2019.[6][5]
Career
Cabral started her musical career in 2015, influenced by two events: watching a fellow San Francisco artist performing looped vocals; and the death of a close friend. At the time she was working as an elementary school teacher, and being around crayons inspired her to release a handmade CD called Crayola Church. Cabral said of the project: “I took a Crayola box and made a record based on every color in the box… I would wrap the CDs in children’s drawings and write the track listing, so some people have those [editions].”[7]
In 2017, she self released her debut album, Pantheon of Me. In 2019, she released a follow-up, Mazy Fly, to positive reviews. In 2021, she released her third album, The Turning Wheel, to similarly positive reviews. In 2023, she announced her fourth album, Spellling & the Mystery School, which would contain re-recordings of past material.
Artistry
Influences
When asked about her favorite albums, Cabral named Minnie Riperton's Come to My Garden, Kraftwerk's Computer World, and Iggy Pop's The Idiot.[8]
Discography
Albums
- Pantheon of Me (2017)
- Mazy Fly (2019)
- The Turning Wheel (2021)
- Spellling & the Mystery School (2023)[9]
Singles
- "Hard to Please" (2018)
- "Little Deer" (2021)
- "Boys at School" (2021)
- "Turning Wheel" (2021)
- "Cherry / Under the Sun" (2023)
- "Hard to Please (Reprise)" (2023)
References
- ^ Silvers, Emma (February 15, 2019). "Spellling Is Making Haunted Electronic Pop for the Witch (or Wizard) in All of Us". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- Pitchfork. December 11, 2017.
- ^ "Review: Mazy Fly by Spellling". Metacritic. Retrieved on 25 May 2021.
- ^ Evan Minsker. "SPELLLING Announces New Album The Turning Wheel, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. April 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Fechik, Mariel (7 July 2021). "As Above, So Below: SPELLLING on Mythical Realms and New Album 'The Turning Wheel'". Atwoodmagazine.com. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Lee, Ahn (3 May 2021). "SPELLLING on Friendship". Art.berkeley.edu. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Reyes, Jordan (19 February 2019). "How Alien Encounters and Vivid Dreams Inspired Spellling's Stunning Mazy Fly". Daily.bandcamp.com. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Michael, Jordan J. "My Favorite Album: SPELLLING on Minnie Riperton, Kraftwerk, and Iggy Pop". Undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ "SPELLLING & the Mystery School, by SPELLLING". Spellling.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
Further reading
- Ahn Lee. "SPELLLING on Friendship". Department of Art Practice, UC Berkeley. May 3, 2021.