Interviews About Albums: CROP - S.S.R.I (2025)

In this new interview, we sat down with the American Sludge Metal/Doom Metal/Grunge band CROP to ask questions about their album, "S.S.R.I".

1. The album title S.S.R.I. is striking—what does it represent for you, both personally and artistically?

S.S.R.I feels raw and aggressive, but the theme, while being dark and self-reflective, is coming from a place of healing. I’m not going to lie or beat around the bush, CROP comes from a dark place in our delve into shaping our sound and overall themes. We want to leave everything on the table, so the listener can take our experiences and apply them to their own inner turmoil. There’s too much focus on musicians writing about things they aren’t living or even familiar with. Anything that’s expressed in S.S.R.I. is actual, real-life situations that have shaped us and our sound.

2. How does S.S.R.I. expand on what you established with your debut album in 2021?

Well, personally, I (Braun) feel like we have really plumbed the depths of our sound with S.S.R.I. We’ve spent lots of time exploring textures and layering melodies, leads, and rhythms into something that feels like a cohesive wall of sound. With the self-titled EP, we just wanted to write music for us. It was the beginning of 2020, Covid had just changed our lives, and for better or worse, we wanted to make an album we all stepped back from and had a sense of pride and accomplishment. At that time, we didn’t know if we’d ever get the chance to bring those songs to a live setting, so that album really was about pleasing ourselves. I feel like S.S.R.I. blinds off the foundation we laid with the first album. S.S.R.I. feels like a breath of fresh air from experiences that left us feeling like there was no air left in our tank.

3. You’ve described this record as “a fully immersive psychological and sonic experience.” What does that mean to you in terms of songwriting and production?

I feel like, as artists, we are our own worst critics. The constant thought of not being good enough and comparing yourself to everyone else around you. When we started the writing process for S.S.R.I., we felt a certain pressure to uphold the standards we approached the first album with. We took our time and really explored our influences. We all come from different musical backgrounds, but finding that common ground where the songs really live is something we all agreed that we needed to focus on. S.S.R.I. Tells a story, and sometimes in storytelling, you have to explore uncomfortable territories. Honesty is where all this comes from. A good example of exploring uncomfortable situations hits at the very beginning of the album with Flatline. The sample in this track is Marc’s long-time friend and mentor’s dying heartbeat. Being open to exploring yourself and your own downfalls can bring a sense of clarity that can truly help in the healing process.

4. What was it like working with Jason Groves on recording, mixing, and mastering the album? What did he bring to the process?

First off, I wanna express the admiration and love I have for Jason Groves, without his friendship and guidance, I don’t think CROP would have ever left our 10x10 practice space. He’s played a key role in helping us explore our sound and giving a gentle nudge in new directions we may not have thought of. Working with Jason is almost like having a 5th member of the band. He such a powerhouse behind the scenes, but he’s also an incredible musician and an all around bad ass. He has a way of keeping tensions light and keeping the ball rolling. In reality, we spent 5 days in the studio working on S.S.R.I. We had a tight budget, but we knew we had a goal, and he helped bring it to life. I don’t see a world where CROP sounds like CROP without Jason being involved.

5. Can you walk us through the emotional themes of the album—grief, identity, and mental disintegration? How did these themes emerge during the writing process?

Basically, as negative as the music can be perceived, it’s actually a story of growth, ownership of your own contribution to your problems, and learning how to, or at least attempting to fill a giant void. It is dark, and it was never meant to feel good, but that’s life. It’s about healing and growing mentally and trying to be better, hence S.S.R.I.

6.“Alone” dives deep into the emotional aftermath of a breakup. Was it written from personal experience, or is it more of a universal meditation?

It is personal for me (Marc). Basically, the realization I came to through grief and loneliness. That it was always meant to be a fleeting momen,t and feeling alone with someone right beside you cuts deeper than their absence. Realizing that made me ok. I’m never good, I shoot for ok cause it’s actually tangible.

7. The song captures a powerful blend of fury and sorrow. How did you strike that balance musically and lyrically?

As a band, we genuinely like and understand each other musically and as people. Zach has a way of knowing me (Marc) that his writing reflects where he knows I’m at in life. Believe it or not, this record comes from a better place. Sorrow and fury go hand in hand,  and when they pass, there’s clarity, good and bad. Lyrically, I want to match the fury they’ve written, if fury is the right word. It’s always gone that way, and probably always will. When I hear a song for the first time, it evokes an emotion, and that turns into a phrase. That phrase becomes the premise, and I just fill in the blanks from there. It’s never contrived, we genuinely feel the music we create and let it do what it’s gonna do

8. Did “Alone” set the tone for the rest of the album, or was it a song that emerged later in the process?

Alone was a song we had been tooling for a long time. We’d work on it, leave it for a while, and then we always seemed to come back to it. In all honesty, I didn’t know if it would make it on S.S.R.I., but right before we hit the studio, it all came together and turned out to be the single off the album. I feel like Alone offers something in a song we haven’t delivered before. It explores a lot of inner workings with movement and tone that have pushed us in the mindset of how we wanna approach future songwriting. I don’t think Alone sets the tone for the album; I think it’s a glimpse into the future. It helps shake off labels and stereotypes, and it gives us a fresh perspective to move forward.

9. The line between raw power and quiet devastation in “Alone” is intense. How did you approach the vocal performance on that track, Marc?

Personally, for me, a song is one giant hook and the drama created by dynamics and space. Letting shit breathe. I’m lucky cause Crop gives me a very distinguishable blueprint. When I give it hell, it’s because my boys have made it clear this is where you let her rip. When I bring it down, that’s when you need to heed my words, that’s where the meat is. That’s the beauty of things quieting down; it forces you to really listen

10. How do you think CROP has evolved since 2020, both in terms of sound and as a group dynamic?

We’ve grown and matured as musicians together. Being in a band is a weird dynamic, and for us, we have to approach it as brothers. We are going to disagree and are going to press each other's buttons from time to time, but at the end of the da,y we all live for the 30 minutes we are on stage. It’s the sickness that has fueled my entire career. Don’t get me wrong, being in a band at any level is hard. There’s constant behind-the-scenes work that no one ever sees. We are really lucky to have the support from Regan and Tom at Third House Communications; they go above and beyond to help relieve some of this burden. I feel like we’ve all grown into a team. We work together, we set goals, and we achieve them.

11. How has being based in Lexington, KY influenced your identity as a band, especially in the doom and heavy grunge scenes?

To be honest, Kentucky has a great heavy underground scene. There’s so much talent in this little pool that it almost seems unfair. I’ve always had the motto that trees growing together build a forest, and that’s the approach I’ve taken with pushing CROP and our scene forward. We can’t take every show that’s offered, but we can all work together and pass opportunities around. Friends help friends, and it’s as simple as that. We are lucky to have our home base in Lexington, KY. There’s a scene here that supports us, and we support it back.

12. You’ve performed with some heavy hitters like WEEDEATER and BONGZILLA. What have you taken from those experiences into your own music and performances?

I think one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter how big the band is, when we go back home, we all have families and day jobs we work to keep our dreams moving forward. The rockstar dream is dead and rightfully so. It’s reassuring to know that the people out here touring and putting the work in are here because they deserve it. It’s also cool to smoke a fatty with Ramsey (Weedeater) from time to time!

13. Live performance seems like a huge part of your identity. How does playing these songs on stage compare to hearing them in the studio?

When you’re playing live, it’s a completely different beast. The songs breathe and take on a life of their own. Musicians make mistakes no matter how professional they present themselves. But the ability to plug right back in and keep the train on the tracks is what we are here for. I’ve always loved performing, giving the crowd a show they will talk about at work the next day. But that comes with lots of rehearsal and laying it all out in the studio. I feel like with CROP, we need studio time to make the live shows what they are.

14. This album dives into some dark and complex emotional territory. How do you take care of yourselves creatively and mentally while working through that material?

I think the beauty of this band is that we don’t think of it that way. We acknowledge the darkness and how intense the performance is, but for us, it’s cathartic. We are wild, we do go hard, and we do end up in dark places and situations, probably more than most. But all of us have had weird, painful, and desperate situations in our lives, and we have learned to live with them. For us, it’s just a moment, good with the bad. You don’t have to be ashamed of the bad moments, you own them. If you turn pain into art, it takes away its power.

15. What song on S.S.R.I. pushed you the furthest, either emotionally or musically?

I think the last song on the album Break pushed me into some uncomfortable territory. It’s got elements that we’ve not explored yet. It’s on the heavier side of our sound. But once we finished it and got the final product, it made all the work worth it.

16. CROP’s lyrics feel very personal and reflective—how do you approach writing lyrics as a band? Is it collaborative or more individual?

I (Marc) take on the responsibility of the lyrics solo. They are very personal. If I say it, I’ve lived it, and it’s real. That scares people sometimes. Formaldehyde is the first song I’ve written for CROP, not about myself. But it’s still a fucked up true story and the premise becomes how much of an impact someone else’s suicide effected the way I think of death and the void of someone not existing cause they made a choice not to. Braun is a good lyricist as well. He’s definitely helped me through some hang-ups and given me a line or two that were better than what I wrote down. It means a lot to me that they give me that freedom and that they trust me to write the right part.

17. Are there any surprising influences—musical or otherwise—that shaped this album behind the scenes?

I think I touched on this a little earlier, we all come from very different backgrounds. There are influences from all over on this album. For me personally, I pulled from a lot of my teenage years for the bass playing on S.S.R.I. I was constantly revisiting stuff that made me fall in love with playing bass. I pulled a lot from bands like Thrice, Thursday, and other early 00’s bands with how I approached the rhythm, playing off the drums and bleeding in and out with the guitar. This probably wouldn’t be noticeable to anyone other than me, but I’m really proud of my tone and the work I didn’t do on this one.

18. What do you hope listeners walk away with after experiencing S.S.R.I. from start to finish?

What we hoped with both of our records is that they make people feel accepted, no matter their mistakes. We all make them. To let people know they aren’t alone. We hope they realize the depth of putting our worst moments on tape to be heard and judged. We’re all human, and we all can connect through pain. Pain is relative; there’s always worse, and here’s an example. If our pain and music can ease someone else’s, we’ll continue to hurt and write about i,t and hopefully it’s found by the people who need to hear it! It’s hope through devastation

19. Do you have plans for a tour after the album release in August? Any festivals or special shows in the works?

Yes, in fact, we are slotted to play RPM Fest in Massachusetts shortly after the release on S.S.R.I. We’ve got some dates planned around that. You can check those out below!

8/27 West side bowl w/ Conan

8/28 Pittsburg @ Squirrel Hill Sports Bar

8/29 Swathmore Pa @ Wharehouse3

8/30 RPM Fest

8/31 Baltimore Md @ Depot

9/5 Lexington Ky @ Als Bar CROP SSRI Release show.

20. Finally, how do you define success for CROP at this point in your journey? What does “making it” look like to you now?

Honestly, I feel like I’m living all the best moments in my career, the opportunities CROP is getting to go out and play things like Maryland Doom Fest and RPM Fest, Opening for bands like Conan, REZN, Bongzilla and Weedeater. Doing runs with Hashtronaut, Horseburner, Temple of the Fuzz witch and our mega homies in Shi! There’s not a time I’m on stage that I’m not completely living my best life! I like to think if 14 year old me, met me now he would be hella stoked on how everything has turned out.