Produced by Grammy-nominated producer Rob Kleiner, “Hurry Up And Wait” pairs nostalgic 2000s-inspired guitars with shimmering indie-pop hooks and Crawley’s trademark lyrical honesty. Written from the perspective of someone caught between possibility and reality, the track captures the emotional ambiguity of wondering what might have happened if circumstances had aligned just a little differently.
The release arrives during a particularly prolific period for the four-time APRA Silver Scroll Award nominee, who continues to build a truly transpacific career spanning New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Over the course of her career, Crawley has opened for artists including John Mayer, Suzanne Vega, Paul Weller, Simply Red and Jools Holland, while her music has been featured in television series including This Is Us, Good Trouble, Nancy Drew and the acclaimed New Zealand feature film WARU.
Since relocating to Los Angeles, Crawley has become a familiar face on the city’s singer-songwriter circuit, performing regularly at iconic venues including Hotel Café and The Dresden while continuing to develop a songwriting style that balances classic craftsmanship with contemporary indie-pop sensibilities.
On “Hurry Up And Wait”, Lisa says: “‘Hurry Up and Wait’ is about bad timing in all its forms – relationships that almost work, career opportunities that arrive too early or too late, and the strange limbo that comes with dating in a city like Los Angeles. It’s frustrating, funny, and bittersweet. Musically, I wanted it to feel like a nod to the early-2000s indie records I grew up loving, while still weaving in some of my favourite textures, including clarinets, recorders, and omnichord.”
Alongside the release of “Hurry Up And Wait”, Crawley recently unveiled Songs I Like But Did Not Write – Vol. 2, a live piano-and-vocal covers EP recorded at Los Angeles’ legendary Village Studios. Born from an unexpected setback after a producer conned her out of a significant sum of money, the project saw Crawley step into the studio and record completely improvised, first-take interpretations of songs she had never previously performed. The resulting collection offers an intimate snapshot of an artist trusting her instincts and rediscovering the joy of simply making music.
The new single follows a strong run of releases for Crawley, including her 2024 EP New Girl Syndrome, a collection exploring identity, belonging and reinvention. Inspired in part by an impromptu piano singalong in Los Angeles with Jack Black and producer John Spiker, the project marked a new chapter in her songwriting.
Recent years have also seen Crawley expand her international audience through editorial playlist support, sync placements and ongoing collaborations with Rob Kleiner, while continuing to work across songwriting, film, television and creative projects. Later this year, she is also set to appear as a guest vocalist on an upcoming release from Nouvelle Vague.
While Los Angeles remains her home base, Crawley will return to New Zealand this month for a special full-band performance at Big Fan on June 18 to celebrate the release of ‘Hurry Up And Wait’ offering local audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of New Zealand’s most internationally travelled songwriters live. Tickets are available from eventfinda.co.nz.
With “Hurry Up And Wait”, Lisa Crawley continues to demonstrate why she remains one of Aotearoa’s most enduring and globally minded songwriting talents – creating music that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable, whether heard in Auckland, Los Angeles or anywhere in between.
“Hurry Up And Wait” is out now on all streaming platforms. Listen here!
Tickets to Lisa Crawley’s “Hurry Up And Wait” release concert on Thursday 18 June at Big Fan are available now. Purchase here!
