Hazel Krumm, a senior at DePaul College Prep, has released her debut album, Backroads. The album, featuring three tracks —“Backroads,” “Wooden Floors,” and “When It Gets Cold Again”— showcases Krumm’s growth as both an artist and individual.
“I’ve been interested in music since I was really little,” Krumm said. “My dad was a musician, so I was kind of raised on music, and he brought me into songwriting.” Her father also contributed guitar backing loops to the album.
Creating the album wasn’t without its challenges. “I took a long time to write all of it because I was so busy, on a student schedule,” Krumm said. “I ended up having to erase one of the whole songs and start all the way over with it because it just wasn’t working out the way that I wanted it.”
Krumm described the album as “singer-songwriter” and “indie.” She said, “It was kind of like a collective of wanting to share art with the world and also just wanting to see what people thought of my art.”
The title track, “Backroads,” holds particular significance for Krumm. “I wrote that one when I was 14, and being 17 now, it’s kind of like such a reflection of growing up and being a different person now,” she said, “Having it be released now, even though I wrote it when I was so young, it’s kind of like a journey for me to see how much I’ve grown.”
DePaul Prep’s arts program helped inspire Krumm’s musical journey. “I took music production freshman year, which definitely helped my passion for wanting to release my music and work with a producer,” Krumm said, “I’m in choir, so it kind of inspired me to continue with what I love.”
Performing live has been an inspiring experience for Krumm. “I did a concert at Martyrs on December 13, which was really fun, and I’m planning on continuing to do that,” she said. “I have a show coming up in February, and it’s been great to see people show up and really enjoy my music.”
Krumm’s friends admire her talent and dedication. Amalia Favaro, a junior at DePaul Prep, said, “I’d say [her music is] creative, mellow, [and] very powerful. It really shows her inner thoughts.” Favaro also shared that her favorite song on the album is “Wooden Floors,” adding, “It has a little bit of a lighter feel in comparison to the others songs.”
Senior Rose Havrish described the music as reminiscent of Phoebe Bridgers. “I think she’s really good, and I think she really has a lot of talent,” Havrish said.
Krumm is already looking ahead to her next project. “I think I’m going to release another album in the next year or so and see what else comes up as I move into college,” she said. “I’ll definitely keep releasing music because I love inspiring art and taking my personality into music.”
With Backroads, Hazel Krumm has shown her ability to blend personal reflection with musical creativity. As Krumm looks to the future, her journey as an artist is only beginning.
