CRATER

Ceci Gomez and Kessiah Gordon make up Crater, a Seattle-based indie electronic duo whose upbeat songs explore relationships and communication in the post-Internet era. Influenced by '90s alternative rock, trip-hop, and industrial, the duo resemble electropop groups like Chvrches but with more of an experimental edge; they typically construct songs by piling together guitar riffs, samples, and drum loops before shaping them into cohesive tunes. The two longtime friends started piecing songs together in 2014, eventually posting tracks online and receiving positive responses. By the end of the year, Crater established a performing lineup that included guitarist Ben Roth and bassist Lance Umble, and toured with Canadian goth pop artist TR/ST. They spent 2015 working on new material and playing gigs across America, eventually touring with MS MR for a few weeks during the fall. The duo's debut album, Talk to Me So I Can Fall Asleep, arrived on Help Yourself Records in February of 2016. The duo's more direct, accessible second album, Unearth, followed in 2017. ~ Paul Simpson