Previously known as Sister Crayon, California duo Rituals of Mine make the type of shadowy and sultry music that’s best consumed in the darkest of hours. Indeed, their newest EP, SLEEPER HOLD, carries the weight of tragedy and trauma, as it comes more than three years after lead singer Terra Lopez lost her father to suicide and her best friend to a fatal accident. Still, the songs are not exactly grim or gloomy but rather sharp and bold, exuding the sexy confidence of trip-hop at its finest (think: Tricky, with whom Lopez has collaborated) and electro-R&B at its dreamiest. While the EP is a form of therapy in its own right, Lopez also has a selection of songs she continually goes back to when life becomes unbearable—and she’s shared them with us here.Says Terra of the playlist: “These are the songs that I’ve clung to over the years (new and old) when I’ve been at my lowest. Before I started taking antidepressants, these tracks were what kept me going, focused, and motivated to get through the day.”Photo credit: Jeffrey LaTour
