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When she's not busy stressing about college exams at Yale, Lila Drew is crafting some of the most pristine pop of recent memory. The rising artist's latest single,  "Crystal Ball," is perfect evidence of this this. Over a minimalistic soundscape that calls to mind the emotional expanse of Bon Iver, Lila's delicate to the touch lyrics flow out with all the intimacy of a best friend passing along a tightly-held secret.  

Lila describes "Crystal Ball" as being about "that deep frustration that comes with feeling like you'll never change - that the things that you hate that you do will continuously be repeated throughout your life, and that fear will always get in the way. It's about being trapped in your kitchen and paralyzed by the anxiety of growing up and the strange, dark humor in that."

We had the chance to speak with Lila about  "Crystal Ball," who she is as an artist and person, and what's next for the rising star.  

Ones to Watch: Who is Lila Drew?

Lila Drew: I think I'm still figuring that out... I'm newly 21 - I'm not quite sure who I am as a person or as an artist, but that's sort of the special part of growing up I guess.

How is your artist self different from you the individual, the student, if at all?

I really feel like my "artist" self and my actual self are one and the same. I write from personal experience, and therefore, a lot of my music mirrors my actual life. I mean, my "artist" self isn't exactly studying for Italian exams for hours on end or going to classes, but even those stresses and experiences affect the music.  

Whats "Crystal Ball" all about?

I always joke that "Crystal Ball" is the sad sister of "2023," which is the last song I released. "2023" is this satirical play on the idea of predictability. That you will forever continue doing the things that you hate that you do, just with more awareness that you're doing them as you get older. Where "2023" takes a sarcastic approach to that fear, "Crystal Ball" faces it head on. That's the whole thing with "crystal ball divine" - that I felt like I could see my future happening in front of me and was never satisfied with those outcomes. I was struggling with some of the worst anxiety I've ever had when I wrote "Crystal Ball." I felt like I was floating through my days and was so frustrated with the ways in which I was handling everything - my friendships, my romantic interests, myself... "Crystal Ball" is about that deep frustration. I tried to paint a picture of it so I could see things more clearly.

We love the singing from the living room floor vibe you give off, especially the self-harmonizing during the opening buildup; how'd you record that?

I love that element of this song so much. The song started out with a really quiet vocal, I was almost humming the song, and Jordan Reyes (who produced the song) was playing guitar. I think we recorded the vocals and the guitar at the same time - we had this idea for the song and were in a rush to get the ideas down. I was in sort of a bad mood that day and told Jordan that I wanted to sing as loudly as I could. I had never really done that before - I always gravitated towards singing super softly and hiding behind that. Anyway, I stood across the room from the mic and just started yelling these background ad libs. They're all in the song as is.    

Can we expect more of this sound in the future?

Yes! I was really interested in exploring ambient sounds in my new music, and attempting to make pop music more rooted in real instruments (like the cello in this song) and with an emphasis on ambient music. I think those small elements add so much texture to the song and make it feel so much closer to the listener.

What else should we be on the lookout for?  

I have a lot of music that's pretty much done at the moment. I'm really excited for more of it to be out in the world.

What's inspiring you right now outside of music?

I'm watching Broadchurch right now and it is so incredible. I cannot stop thinking about it. Also, it's so beautiful on the east coast right now! California (where I grew up) has no seasons, so that has been lovely.  

Who are your Ones to Watch?

I love Dijon so much - his new album is incredible. This artist Leo Bhanji I really like - I think he's English and his music is really cool. Also 454!!!