The Krickets to Release Third Studio Album

If Only You Knew

By Jordan Staggs | Photography by Jessica Long

From the Spanish moss of the Gulf Coast to the Hit Recording Capital of the World, the songwriting sirens known as The Krickets have blown audiences away with their harmonies. This fall, they’re celebrating ten years of making music, a new studio album, and an evolution in their musical style. What started as a few friends coming together to perform for a nonprofit concert benefiting CricketFund.org has since become a trio of passionate and talented women chasing their dreams of making great music together. VIE was thrilled to catch up with band members Emily Stuckey Sellers, Lauren Spring, and Rachel Grubb at the 30A Songwriters Festival in January 2025 and to chat with them to get the latest scoop on their upcoming projects!

VIE: Tell us a bit about your journey as a band. How have things changed since you first came together to make music for a charity benefit concert?

Lauren: It’s been almost ten years since that first show for the CricketFund.org, and the changes are wild. I doubt those girls playing that first gig back in 2015 would have believed it if you told them this band would get to record three fan-funded albums, play hundreds of shows for said blessed fans, and collaborate with hero musicians on dream stages—all while raising kids, moving, working, and maintaining solo artist careers. In these ten years, we’ve also had to totally relearn the music industry a couple of times over, seen CDs become obsolete and vinyl become crucial, and had our band go from a quartet to a trio. That last change was a big one, and we waited six years to make another album so we could figure out our new sound, write together, and learn what felt right to our new configuration. We think it was worth the wait because this new album is something we’re beyond proud of.

VIE: How did you each get into music? Was there a specific defining moment or artist that made you realize music was the path you wanted to take?

Emily: I remember at a very early age repeatedly singing songs I would hear from Disney movies. I drove my brother crazy! He still talks about it. I didn’t start playing in public until my early twenties. I was always very shy about singing in front of strangers, but a musician friend of mine let me sit in with his band, and that was it. I was hooked!

Rachel: I had a love of music and poetry from an early age. My mother was a choir director, and we would spend hours singing songs from hymnals and oldies radio. That’s where I learned to sing harmony. I had an epiphany of sorts in my thirties and felt compelled to try songwriting. The songs started pouring out and led me to where I am now. 

Lauren: When I was around twelve years old, I saw a college kid with an acoustic guitar cover a Paul Simon song and absolutely floor a room. After that, I knew I wanted to make other people feel the way he had just made me feel. My dad taught me guitar soon after, and I learned harmony singing along to the Indigo Girls. Many moons later, I’ve just surrendered to the fact that music and songwriting are tied directly to my peace. I’ve been very, very lucky to have found people I love and respect to share this long, strange trip with, who are just as nuts about pursuing it as I am.

VIE: How would you describe your music style, and how has it evolved over time? 

Lauren: Our musical style is a vocal-focused Americana sound. We’ve changed a lot in our different iterations of the band, but that harmony-driven songwriting style has always been the connecting thread. Over the past ten years, I’d say we’ve come from a raw swamp folk to more of an alt country now.

VIE: What has been the most rewarding moment in your career so far?

Emily: Creating music with two people I love and admire has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Together, we have grown and matured both personally and professionally. I hope to continue creating music with this coven forever.

VIE: As an independent band navigating the music industry, what has been one of your biggest challenges?

Emily: A significant challenge for us in navigating the music industry has been gaining visibility and breaking through a saturated market. It has been challenging to reach a broad audience, secure bookings at popular venues, and secure media coverage—all while raising our families. Finding a balance between managing various aspects of our career—such as marketing, distribution, funding, and rights—has often felt overwhelming. However, thanks to our strong and loyal fan base, we have been able to persevere and create new music despite these hurdles.

VIE: Tell us a little about recording your new album, coming out November 1! How would you describe the tracks—is there a favorite?

Emily: Our recording experience with Austin Motlow was nothing short of magical. From the moment we met him and walked around the studio, we knew we were going to create something truly special. He has a calm and patient demeanor, which allowed all of us to relax and let the music flow naturally.

Austin brought in an incredibly talented session player and producer, Sol Philcox-Littlefield, who played almost every instrument on the album—except the keys. His performance blew our minds and perfectly captured the emotion of each song. With Austin and Ben Tanner on the keys and Caleb Elliot on cello, the project reached a new level of excellence.

This album exceeded every expectation we had going in, and we believe it will do the same for our listeners. Each track is connected by a common thread of love. It’s difficult to pick a favorite, but one that we especially got creative and into the flow state with was “If You Only Knew.”

VIE: You recorded it in Florence, Alabama. How did you decide to choose “The Shoals” as your recording venue for this album? What do you think about people calling the area “Singing River?”

Emily: It wasn’t a hard decision, considering some of the greatest albums of all time have been recorded there by our heroes. Florence is also a beautiful and peaceful place that consistently inspires me whenever we visit. We recorded our first album there nine years ago and had such a great experience working with Ben Tanner that it made sense to return to where it all began. This time, we had the opportunity to work with Austin Motlow, who is also at Sundrop Sounds. Working with Austin was fantastic—he gave each song his full attention and brought out the sound and life the tracks truly deserve. When the album was finished, we didn’t want it to end. It’s safe to say this has been our favorite experience to date.

Rachel: We spent most of our time in the studio or rehearsing at our Airbnb, but we did enjoy ordering in lunch from local restaurants. They were all wonderful! We visited Kodachrome Gardens for their Solstice Celebration and had awesome tomato sandwiches made from tomatoes right from the garden. We spent a lovely coupleof hours Sunday evening wading in Cypress Creek at Wildwood Park. Lauren and Emily also took some long walks around the UNA campus and raved about how beautiful it was.

And yes, the area certainly earns its name! We fell in love with the atmosphere of Florence and the surrounding neighborhoods—it’s filled with so much music and talent!

VIE: Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get into the music industry?

Rachel: Follow your passion and put the hours in. Embrace being a learner and don’t be too hard on yourself when you make mistakes. Get involved in your local music community and support others who are doing what you’d like to do someday.

VIE: What’s next for The Krickets? Touring, festivals, prepping for album release? 

Rachel: All of the above! We’ve scheduled album release dates for October and November. We all live in different areas of Florida and Alabama, and we wanted to have releases in each of our hometowns. We are so grateful for our fans and supporters. Albums are expensive to create, and this one would not exist without the donations raised on our Kickstarter Campaign. We are honored and grateful for our supporters and hope this album makes them proud!

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Visit TheKrickets.com, follow them on social media @thekrickets, and check out their music on all streaming platforms as the band prepares to release a new album on November 1, 2025!