Crimulus
Progressive Folk Rock Storyteller

Appalachian Roots. Distorted Edges.

Crimulus is a Portland, Oregon-based singer/songwriter and recording artist playing original progressive folk rock that combines introspective lyrics and catchy melodies with Appalachian roots and a love of everything from bluegrass to hard rock. Inspired by '90s radio pop and rock - think Hootie & the Blowfish, Dave Matthews, and 10,000 Maniacs - his sound blends banjo and acoustic guitar with distorted guitars, layered harmonies, and expansive arrangements, creating music that can be intimate, heavy, playful, or unexpectedly strange.

At the center of it all is a storyteller's instinct. Crimulus writes about aging, loneliness, love, regret, ambition, identity, mortality, and the persistent question of what any of this is supposed to mean. Sometimes the answers come through intimate confession. Sometimes they come through a medieval king, a dying snake, a baby duck, or a person trying to make sense of their own dreams. The subject matter can get heavy, but the songs rarely forget to be funny, curious, or fun.

The result is music that feels personal without being confined to confession: songs about complicated people trying to understand themselves, each other, and the strange world they've ended up in - often with a little humor along the way.

The Sound

Folk songwriting meets rock catharsis.

Banjo and acoustic guitar provide the foundation, while distorted electric guitars, layered harmonies, dynamic arrangements, and home-studio experimentation push the songs in unexpected directions. The songs pair introspective lyrics with catchy, memorable melodies, even when the arrangements get ambitious.

The result can be intimate and stripped-down, then suddenly loud, expansive, or strange - often within the same song - while the melodies keep the music grounded and accessible.

Discography

trois, ben oui

2026 • 13 tracks • 45m • Country / Rock

trois, ben oui is a collection of songs about searching for meaning in the strange, beautiful, and sometimes absurd experience of being alive. Across thirteen tracks, Crimulus moves through dreams, love, grief, mortality, loneliness, memory, alternate possibilities, and the quiet question of what any of it means.

The album shifts freely between intimate confession and surreal storytelling, finding humor alongside heavier questions. Characters drift through imagined worlds. Memories erode, people disappear, and ordinary moments become unexpectedly profound - all while the songs keep returning to the same fundamental impulse: trying to understand where we are, how we got here, and what keeps us moving forward.

Highlighted Tracks

  • Not A Whole Lot Great Feeling stuck, struggling to heal, and leveraging loved ones to confront what hurts.
  • Dada Lullaby A sleep-bound mind searches for meaning as genuine insight gradually gives way to absurdity.
  • It Ought To An ode to the things that failed to break us.

47: Past My Prime And Still Getting Better

2026 • 26 tracks • Dual Disc • Country / Rock

47: Past My Prime And Still Getting Better is a sprawling look at a life still in progress - twenty-six songs about aging, identity, love, regret, ambition, persistence, and the realization that there's no final version of yourself waiting around the corner. Looking backward is unavoidable, but the album isn't particularly interested in staying there.

Across two companion discs, Crimulus moves from the stage to the road, from young love to lifelong love, from heartbreak to fragile baby ducks, and from existential questions to the simple act of trying to keep going. The result is a record that can be introspective, funny, romantic, bitter, hopeful, and occasionally all of those things at once - less a retrospective than an ongoing conversation with the person you used to be and the person you're still becoming.

Highlighted Tracks

  • Folks On Fire An anthemic battle cry for dreamers.
  • 78 Pinto A humble old car becomes the unlikely vessel for a lifetime of memories.
  • Am A hard-hitting, gut-wrenching reflection on an impossible love.

Unnatural XX

2025 • 11 tracks • Progressive Rock

Unnatural XX is a surreal concept album told through the perspectives of trees, insects, animals, and people. Each song inhabits a different creature or character, using its strange little corner of the natural world to explore fear, survival, freedom, instinct, mortality, identity, and the forces we can never fully control.

What begins as a collection of seemingly unrelated creatures gradually becomes something more connected: a world where the boundaries between predator and prey, life and death, self and other, and natural and unnatural aren't quite as stable as they seem. The album moves between the philosophical and the absurd, the unsettling and the playful, ultimately becoming a strange journey through the question that sits underneath much of Crimulus' work: what does it mean to exist, and how do we make sense of the world we're given?

Highlighted Tracks

  • The Fly A fly's frantic world blurs fear, captivity, survival, and the struggle to escape.
  • The Fish An introspective conversation with a fish anchored by a legendary acoustic riff.
  • The Bear Facing the bear as a symbol of the uncontrollable forces shaping your life.

Live Performance

Room, Guitar, Connection

Armed with just a guitar, Crimulus delivers a dynamic solo acoustic show that puts the songwriting and audience connection front and center. The stripped-down format leaves room for expressive playing, memorable hooks, and the kind of storytelling that makes a room feel less like a venue and more like a shared experience.

Humor, conversation, and a knack for letting the room shape the presentation of each song make the performance feel personal to the audience - as though each song were being played just for them. That connection makes the music feel immediately relatable, whether the setting is an intimate coffee shop or listening room, a private party or festival, or a larger venue where Crimulus is the crowd-warming opener.

Selected Live History

Press Quotes & Reviews

"The mix of the track was definitely a highlight ... I especially enjoyed the nice tone on your electric guitar as well as the tone of your vocals."

Austin, Indie Remedy playlist (Re: 78 Pinto)

"It has a cool foundational vibe."

Glitch&Gold (Re: The Fish)

"Your vocals are remorseful yet comforting, whilst the instrumentation roars with the revving guitars; also the folk influences here with the banjo gives this an idiosyncratic sound to the song."

Daily Dosa Playlists • Indie Rock That HITS (Re: Am)

"The emotional depth and lyrical sincerity of 'Am' are commendable."

The Key 109.3 (Re: Am)

"This track features meaningful, poetic lyrics delivered with genuine artist performance, supported by well-balanced production and catchy melodies."

U N Indie Folk Music (Re: Chapter Two)

"The exhilarating guitar, the vocal melody, and the part starting at 2:57 were amazing."

Niche Music (Re: Folks On Fire)

"I like the mesmerizing and energetic instrumental line with a powerful atmosphere. The vocal performance is strong, charismatic and smooth with a moody and brutal tone."

YourValeri of Valeriya (Re: Am)

"It’s very well developed musically, with excellent instrumentation."

RadioCastor.com (Re: It Ought To)

Interview & Press Talking Points

The Sound
Blending Appalachian folk and bluegrass roots and country songwriting with the melodic pull of '90s radio pop and rock, distorted guitars, and progressive arrangements.
The Songwriting
Combining introspective lyrics with catchy, heartfelt melodies to explore love, loneliness, aging, identity, mortality, memory, self-doubt, and the strange business of being alive.
The Big Questions
A recurring curiosity about what it means to be alive, how we make sense of the world we're given, and how we keep moving when life takes us somewhere different from where we expected to go.
The Characters
Using dreams, animals, imagined worlds, historical settings, and unusual perspectives to explore familiar human experiences from unexpected angles.
Perspective
Looking backward without getting stuck there - using age, experience, memory, and regret as material for figuring out what comes next.
Studio vs. Stage
Building progressive, layered recordings in the studio while reducing the songs to their essentials live: voice, acoustic guitar, and a direct connection with the room and audience.
DIY Recording
Writing, performing, engineering, recording, mixing, mastering, and producing music independently from a home studio.
Humor & Heart
Finding room for absurdity, wit, and unexpected fun even when songs are wrestling with loneliness, regret, mortality, or other weighty subjects - and carrying that same balance into the live show.

For Media and Promoters

Short Bio

Crimulus is a Portland, Oregon-based singer/songwriter and recording artist playing original progressive folk rock that combines introspective lyrics and catchy melodies with Appalachian roots and a love of everything from bluegrass to hard rock. Inspired by '90s radio pop and rock - think Hootie & the Blowfish, Dave Matthews, and 10,000 Maniacs - his sound lands somewhere in the vicinity of Indie Rock and Alt Country.

Armed with just a guitar and a love for connecting with an audience, Crimulus delivers a dynamic solo acoustic show that adapts to nearly any space - from coffee shops and listening rooms to private parties, festivals, and larger venues. Expect strong songs, stories, and a few chuckles between them.

One-Line Description

Appalachian-rooted progressive folk rock combining introspective lyrics, catchy melodies, and a love of everything from bluegrass to hard rock.

Genre

Progressive Folk Rock / Indie Rock / Alt Country

Live Format

Solo Acoustic / Singer-Songwriter

Media Assets

Artist photos, live performance images, and album artwork are available for promotional, editorial, and booking use.

Artist Photos

Album Artwork

Listen & Follow

Booking

Crimulus is available for solo acoustic performances, opening act opportunities, listening rooms, markets, festivals, community events, wineries, cafés, private events, and other venues throughout Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro and the surrounding Oregon area.

Need music on short notice? Crimulus is frequently available for last-minute bookings, cancellation fill-ins, and other short-notice performance opportunities. If another musician or act cancels unexpectedly, get in touch - the solo acoustic setup is flexible and requires minimal production.

Booking: crimulustv@gmail.com

©2025-26 Crimulus | crimulustv@gmail.com