Crushed Out is husband-and-wife team Frankie Sunswept on guitar and Moselle Spiller on drums. Yet when they take the stage, they’re so much more than that — they’re the sun and the moon, the push and pull of tides, the rumble of kinetic momentum balanced on the tip of a surfboard.

In this interview spotlight, we chat with Frankie of Crushed Out about their new project Alien Ocean, influences, surviving in the digital music world and more.

Full Q&A along with links and streams below.

What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?

I was driven to create music from the challenge and excitement of singing. The ‘what if’ I could write a song mystery, which leads to ‘what if’ I could sing it in front of people mystery, and so on. The drive to push it to the public is that age old question of the artist. I guess it’s the universal need to find your tribe and feel of value. The universal conversation. It is not easy to share your art, I will tell you.

Who or what influences your creativity? Do you have different influences now, than when you started?

At first I was influenced by these ghosts in the records. Some dead, some living. People I’d never meet. Now I am influenced equally by artists I know and share shows with. It seems to be a great balance to love the past and present equally. I think for awhile I was a bit imbalanced with only being influenced by the ghosts. This is why performing is exciting and challenging.

What are you trying to accomplish specifically on Alien Ocean? Creatively or otherwise?

As an artist you are always trying to outdo yourself. We wanted focused songs, gorgeous recordings, deeper concepts. More fun, more focus, more wildness, more originality. We wanted Alien Ocean to feel like a debut album, as it’s good to always be re-inventing yourself. Alien Ocean is our genre.

What was the last song you listened to?

Tobacco Vanilla by Les Deuxluxes, from their fantastic new album Springtime Devil.

Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

I prefer Bandcamp as an artist and as a consumer. On Bandcamp you can listen to tracks, order the vinyl, tape, cd, and merch all in one place. Soundcloud is fun too. Streaming is a great way to check out an album for a first listen on the go, I just find the options to be more overwhelming than good. I was recently thinking that our lives are finite, so why do we need instant access to almost infinite music? You could never listen to it all, and you spend less time valuing the music, artists, songs, albums. Your record collection is the story of your life and a real part of you. I love buying albums and always will. Especially artists I actually meet. I hope this new generation is learning that, I wouldn’t want them to miss out on that valuable perspective. I’m hoping to see streaming evolve and change soon, seems to me to be in a beta version right now.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with new fans and reconnect with your old fans?

I suppose the biggest challenge is the online and social media marketing budget. Though I prefer to focus on the challenge of honing our music, videos, and stage world. Much more inspiring.

Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?

Hello from the beautiful midwest! I wish you all the best on your journey to and from the alien ocean.

-Frankie Sunswept