Skullcrusher, the moniker of singer-songwriter Helen Ballentine, has released new single “Storm in Summer” ahead of her sophomore EP of the same name, out April 9 via Secretly Canadian. Ballentine’s debut EP Skullcrusher was one of Paste’s picks for the 25 best EPs of 2020.
Ballentine’s music is not, in fact, the kind one might imagine crushing skulls to. Her gentle, airy voice is delicate but powerful, poignantly asking, “If I step into this storm, is it warm? / Will I find my place?” as the song builds. The Storm in Summer EP was a collaboration between Ballentine and Noah Weinman, whose guitar playing can be heard accompanying Ballentine’s banjo in the latest track.
Ballentine said of her new song in a statement:
I wrote “Storm in Summer” after releasing the first Skullcrusher EP. Over that summer I thought a lot about what it means to really put myself out there and share something personal. I felt so vulnerable and overwhelmed by the fact that these songs I had written in private were exposed and likely being misinterpreted or disliked. I think the song really tries to communicate these anxieties in a cathartic way while also leaning more into the beauty of relinquishing part of myself.
Watch the music video for “Storm in Summer” below. Keep scrolling for the Storm in Summer EP artwork and tracklist.
Storm in Summer EP Artwork:
Storm in Summer Tracklist:
1. Windshield
2. Song For Nick Drake
3. Steps
4. Storm In Summer
5. Prefer
