Living in the “Now”: Ally Cribb’s Musical Acumen Is Utterly of the Moment
It’s tempting to say that when you’re passing from your teens into your 20s, all you know is the present. But Ally Cribb’s haunting “Now” is far more world-wise than that oversimplification and the song’s own deceptively simple title—might suggest. With an eagle-eyed perception that would be enviable at any age, the Toronto-born, Halifax-based singer-songwriter describes the feeling of exiting a relationship (and, by extension, an entire era of your life) that your brain knows you have to put behind you, even though your heart may be slow to get the message.
If I could let it go I would
Staying won’t do me any good
There’s nothing left for me now
Now, now
Now I know what I was missing
‘Cause now I’m missing you
Now the damage has been done
But I’m not done with you
Oh I wonder what you would do
If you knew
“I started writing ‘Now’ when I was 18 and watched it evolve over the past two years,” Cribb says. “The song’s narrator is a girl struggling with uncertainty in herself, turbulence in her life, regret about decisions and wistful hope for what might lie ahead. It’s where I am. Now.”
It’s also the title track to Cribb’s sophomore EP, a five-song affair that represents a giant leap ahead for her as an artist on several fronts. For one thing, this is the first record she’s written entirely by herself, and the sophistication of tracks like “Know Better” and “Not This Time” shows that she’s wholly justified in being proud of her development as a lyricist. Then there’s the matter of musical direction: Now constitutes a move into pure country after her previous dalliances with pop and adult contemporary—an artistic gambit she credits her producer, Igor Vrabac (of Toronto’s Akashic Rekords), with encouraging: “He’s incredibly talented and trusted me enough to follow my vision of creating a country EP, as it’s the direction I’ve always seen myself following since I first picked up a guitar.”
But this isn’t the glossy, crassly calculated brand of contemporary country that’s meant to provoke instant gratification on TikTok. Rather, Now is remarkably composed and gentle in a way that betrays Cribb’s debt to her heroes Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin, and Taylor Swift.
That’s just one reason the critical response has been so rapturous. Female-centered UK rock mag Lock called the EP “wondrous,” writing: “Continuing to explore more of those warm and riveting aesthetics that have made her such a compelling artist lately, Now feels like a bold and assured step forward in her musical evolution to date.”
That evolution began with the DNA Cribb inherited from her musician father but really kicked into high gear when she began taking singing lessons at age 8. In 2019, she released a cover version of Radiohead’s “Creep” that ended up netting more than 200,00 views on YouTube. She followed it up with “Bigger,” an anthem of resilience that constituted her coming-out party as an original artist.
On her subsequent debut EP, Unbroken, she worked through the grief she was experiencing after suddenly losing her mother in the thick of COVID-mandated isolation. The unvarnished sentiment struck a nerve with listeners, leading to thousands of streams per week and highly positive coverage by dozens of media outlets.
With so much life and loss already under Cribb’s belt, it’s no wonder Now is such a penetrating, even essential work.
“This EP was inspired by the last two years of my life—walking through that portal, leaving behind who I was, beginning to invent who I want to be, and learning about the emotional stakes of relationships that shape it all,” she says. “It’s part diary and part observation about how love behaves; how we let people back into our lives even when we know we shouldn’t for reasons we don’t understand and how it all changes us.
“I’ve always focused my writing on personal experiences. After struggling with letdowns and heartbreak, I felt these stories deeply. And I thought there must be others out there who might feel the same as me.”
Not only are there plenty of listeners who feel the same as her, but her peers seem to think she’s kind of great at communicating it too. Two songs from Unbroken reached the finals in the International category of the Song Academy Competition (in 2022 and 2024, respectively). More recently, Cribb’s original composition “California” was named one of the four winners of the 2024 Write Out Loud song contest (a U.S.-based competition co-founded by Tony Award winner Taylor Louderman, who originated the role of Regina George in the stage adaptation of Mean Girls). As her prize, Cribb will get to hear her song re-recorded by a Broadway star for release on iTunes, Apple Music, and Spotify, and performed live in a special concert at New York’s 54 Below.
Ally Cribb on Broadway? Sure, why not? With talent and insight like hers, she’s already proven she could go just about anywhere. In the meantime, Now is a pretty wonderful place to be.
Hi Ally! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello! My name Ally Cribb. I’m a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Toronto. I’ve been singing and playing piano since I was 8 years old and just released my sophomore EP, Now. I started writing my own songs at age 12. That was also when I picked up my first kid-size guitar and my older cousin taught me my first couple of chords. I’m currently in my junior year at Dalhousie University studying music and business. This chapter of my life sort of feels like I have one foot in childhood and one foot in adulthood, which definitely inspired some of the themes in Now.
You began writing “Now” at 18 and watched it evolve over two years. How did the song change as you grew, both personally and musically?
I believe that the more songs you write, the better you get at songwriting. When I compare songs I’ve written recently to songs I wrote for my first EP, Unbroken, I definitely feel like I have evolved and developed a more mature style of writing that more people are able to connect with. There’s also so much that’s happened in the last two years of my life, so I feel like I’ve developed both as a songwriter and a person.
“Now” marks a shift in your musical direction towards country. What drew you to this genre, and how did producer Igor Vrabac influence that decision?
I’ve sort of always known that country is ultimately the direction I wanted to go in. I’ve been a fan of country for as long as I can remember, and all of my favourite songwriters come from Nashville. I feel like my first EP, Unbroken, was my opportunity to play around with a few different musical styles and have fun creatively. But this time, the songs came with a country feel without really trying. The direction i wanted to go in musically was very clear, and I felt confident that these five songs blended well together sonically. I can definitely see myself continuing down this path musically and continuing to write with a country feel because it just feels so right for me. My producer Igor Vrabac was totally on board with these ideas and supported my vision completely. He always had great musical ideas along the way and really played a big role in shaping Now.
Your influences include Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin, and Taylor Swift. How have these artists shaped your approach to storytelling in “Now”?
I’m inspired by songwriters who are great storytellers. I think when you are able to write a song that takes the listener through a journey, you know you’re doing it right. I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift since I was six years old, and I’m still a big fan today. She has the ability to place her listeners in a distinct moment in time and describe everything so perfectly. I sometimes feel like I’m standing in that room with her. I try to have the same effect in my own songs because I know how powerful it is from a listener’s point of view.
What message would you give to listeners who are going through their own transitions in life, similar to the one you describe in “Now”?
I would say that it’s totally normal and expected to experience change and growth at any chapter of your life. Even when these transitions seem intimidating or too heavy to handle on your own, they’re ultimately the moments that shape you into who you become. Life moves too fast and your late teen years into early twenties are made up of some of the greatest moments you’ll ever have, so enjoy the ride.