Cross Record Releases Dark, Striking New Single “The Fly”

Emily Cross of Cross Record has released the second single from her forthcoming self-titled album, a glossy, frenetic cut titled “The Fly.”

“The Fly” is a strange, dark journey through rich, wavering vocals, ominous synths and despairing, distant shouting. Striking piano chords splinter the song into its stripped refrain and stirring, heady verses as Cross sings of death and impermanence: “I am the fly in an old oil painting / I am a dog in heat, left panting / And my mind is a fragile vase.”

“I suppose it’s a song about brinks or being close to an edge: the edge of a meltdown, the edge between life and death, the moment you think you see something beautiful but it turns out to be a plastic bag, and that’s funny sometimes,” says Cross in a statement.

Cross Record has also announced a number of North American tour dates in support of the forthcoming release. In addition to the live performances, Cross, who moonlights as a death doula, will lead a series of Living Funeral ceremonies, three-hour-long “death visualizations” focusing on turning towards one’s own mortality. You can check out all of the dates below.

Cross Record is due Aug. 2 via Ba Da Bing. You can preorder the album here.