With today's release of "Crystals", Seattle-based dream-pop artist Natalie Lew, aka Sea Lemon, is fulfilling a teenage dream of working with local hero Benjamin Gibbard. The two first became friends after the Death Cab for Cutie frontman invited Lew to sing a cover of The Vaselines' "Son of a Gun" with him at a Sub Pop tribute show last November, and "Crystals" cements that friendship over traded verses and shimmering harmonies.

Says Lew in a press release, "Ben’s contribution to this song is so exciting for me to say the least; as a huge Death Cab fan growing up, Ben’s songwriting has inspired me since I got interested in songwriting myself," adding:

"'Crystals' was written after I attempted “manifesting” for a good portion of 2023 and found myself feeling really lackluster about the whole process. I wrote most of the song after coming to this realization that “manifesting” or looking for signs in nature or everyday life is mostly just a coping mechanism to get by day to day. When Ben came on and wrote his verse, I loved his added angle—rather than attempting lighter coping mechanisms, just submitting oneself to being upset and living in that darkness for a while can be a way to cope in and of itself."

Released through Luminelle Recordings, it's the first new music from Sea Lemon since August's Stop at Nothing EP. Listen to "Crystals" below:

Sea Lemon currently has two shows lined up, opening for British alt. rock trio bôa at Wonder Ballroom in Portland, OR, on 17 September, and at Neumos in Seattle the following day. Both are sold out.