crushed share new single + debut album 'no scope' due 9/26
CRUSHED SHARE NEW SINGLE
CHECK OUT “CWTCH” NOW
DEBUT ALBUM NO SCOPE DUE
SEPTEMBER 26TH
VIA GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL
crushed by Ben Rayner
What the press is saying about crushed:
"sexy, woozy, familiar yet alive with fresh possibility"
Pitchfork
“devises tracks that can shift from lo-fi diffidence to arena-scale immensity in an instant”
The New York Times
"destined to give dream pop a fresh new face"
Alternative Press
NPR
“A euphoric re-imagining of 90s dream pop”
The Line of Best Fit
“cwtch”
LISTEN: https://ghostly.lnk.to/crushed-cwtch
no scope
PRE-SAVE / ORDER: https://ghostly.lnk.to/crushed-no-scope
(July 30, 2025) - Following the announcement of their debut album no scope, which will arrive on September 26th via Ghostly International, crushed share the new offering from the project with “cwtch.” The new single is swirling with synths and emotional lyrics vocalized by Shaun Durkan with harmonies from vocalist Bre Morell. “cwtch” is the second taste of no scope following the duo’s lead single “starburn,” which arrived with a video directed by Luke Orlando and was highlighted by The New York Times, Stereogum, Alternative Press, Pitchfork and more. crushed also recently stopped by The Lot Radio for a guest DJ session.
Speaking about the new single, Durkan shares, “‘Cwtch’ is a Welsh word meaning an embrace with a sense of offering warmth and safety, a safe place. I wrote the song during a period where I was really struggling to ‘live life on life’s terms.’ A time when learning new ways of coping with difficult feelings felt like an enormous challenge, and returning to self destruction sounded like returning home."
This September and October, crushed will join Cafuné on their North American tour for a run of 19 shows with performances in Washington, D.C., Montreal, Chicago, Denver, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Austin, Brooklyn, and more. Tickets are available HERE.
Recording out of various homes, not fixed to any single location (Morell from Texas, now based in Los Angeles, and Durkan in Portland, Oregon), crushed write the songs they want to hear, tuning from shared taste for trip-hop, Britpop, electronica, and the canon of '90s alt radio, a desire for emotionality, and an instinct for when it sounds right and honest; when it means something real to them. no scope embodies Morell and Durkan’s trust in one another and in their craft. A "no scope" kill in the video game lexicon is achieved by shooting a sniper rifle at close range without scoping in on your target, an apt metaphor for two artists following their pop impulses, shooting from the hip with precision. On the triumphant no scope, crushed take life's best shots with their strongest work, wielding melodic, open-hearted hooks through a maze of breakbeats and spliced sound design with unprecedented immediacy and clarity. Next level, unlocked.
no scope follows extra life, the 2023 EP and debut collaboration between Morell, who also fronts the band Temple of Angels (Run For Cover Records), and Durkan, who has produced for others (Topographies, Young Prisms) following the 2010s run of his former band Weekend (Slumberland Records). Their first batch of songs together saw a groundswell of support, finding early fans in Pitchfork, NPR, and Ghostly International, who signed the band and gave extra life a wider physical release in 2024. extra life is home to the tracks “waterlily,” which received a remix from Real Lies, and “milksugar,” which received a remix from DJ Python last year. crushed capped the year with their first-ever shows in the UK, and tested new material and live arrangements in early 2025 as the album was finalized.
Written throughout the slow-simmering breakout, no scope finds the band driven to refocus, refine, and level up, to deliver on extra life's promise. Morell and Durkan started songs remotely, then alternated sessions between their living spaces and co-producer/mixer Jorge Elbrecht's house, a first for them after exclusively self-producing. Elbrecht brought his accomplished ear for melody and structure (credits include Japanese Breakfast, Hatchie, and Weyes Blood), helping them narrow down dozens of demos. More a culmination than a debut, no scope feels refreshingly unguarded and fine-tuned, a modern work from two artists coursing the crosshairs of life in real-time.
Check out “cwtch” and pre-order / save no scope above, see full upcoming live dates and album details below and stay tuned for more from crushed coming soon.
"cwtch" single artwork
Upcoming Live Dates
* = supporting Cafuné
9/19 – Washington, DC @ The Atlantis*
9/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore*
9/22 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall*
9/23 – Montréal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB*
9/24 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall*
9/26 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*
9/27 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon*
9/30 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall*
10/2 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge*
10/5 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios*
10/6 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile @ Madame Lou's*
10/8 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club*
10/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom*
10/12 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge*
10/14 – Dallas, TX @ Cambridge Room @ House of Blues Dallas*
10/15 – Austin, TX @ The Parish*
10/17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Hell*
10/18 – Carrboro, NC @ Back Room @ Cat’s Cradle*
10/22 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg*
no scope album artwork
crushed
no scope
September 26th, 2025
Ghostly International
1. exo
2. starburn
3. cwtch
4. heartcontainer
5. oneshot
6. airgap1
7. meghan
8. licorice
9. silene
10. weaponx
11. celadon
12. airgap2
Connect with crushed:
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