All The Babes
Career
Active 2015 – present
Biography
About Spellling
Spellling, born Chrystia Cabral on May 18, 1991, is an American musician, singer, and producer based in Oakland, California. She began her career in 2015, influenced by watching a San Francisco artist perform looped vocals and by the death of a close friend. At the time, she worked as an elementary school teacher, and crayons inspired her handmade debut CD, Crayola Church, which she wrapped in children's drawings. Her first full-length album, Pantheon of Me, arrived in 2017, self-released, and Pitchfork called it "surely among the most overlooked debuts this calendar year." Signing to Sacred Bones Records in 2018, she released Mazy Fly in February 2019 and The Turning Wheel in June 2021, both met with critical acclaim. She followed with Spellling & the Mystery School in 2023 and Portrait of My Heart in 2025. In 2025, she supported Japanese Breakfast on their Melancholy Tour across North America.
Cabral grew up in Sacramento, California, raised in the Catholic Church, a background that later influenced her music. She studied at the University of California, Berkeley, first philosophy for two semesters, then switched to English literature after feeling "shamed out of the [philosophy] department" as the only femme person and person of color. She stayed at Berkeley to complete a Master of Fine Arts in 2019, the same year she released Mazy Fly. Her academic path and creative life often intertwined, as her education and teaching shaped her early projects. She also cites favorite albums by Minnie Riperton, Kraftwerk, and Iggy Pop as key influences.
Cabral's discography includes five studio albums, with singles like "Hard to Please," "Little Deer," "Boys at School," and "Turning Wheel." Her music blends experimental pop with dark, eerie qualities, a sound that has earned her a dedicated following. She is 35 years old and has 43k Instagram followers. Her work continues to evolve, and her 2025 album Portrait of My Heart marks her latest chapter.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Years Active
- 2015-present (started around 24 years old; 11 years active)
- Birthplace
- Oakland, California, United States
Body
- Tattoos
- Yes
Extra
- Instagram Followers
- 43k (as of April 2026)
Frequently asked
What inspired her debut CD, Crayola Church?
While working as an elementary school teacher, she was inspired by crayons to create a handmade record where each song was based on a color from a Crayola box, with CDs wrapped in children's drawings.
What changed her academic path at Berkeley?
She switched from philosophy to English literature after feeling shamed out of the philosophy department as the only femme person and person of color, later completing an MFA there.
What are some of her notable musical influences?
She has named Minnie Riperton's Come to My Garden, Kraftwerk's Computer World, and Iggy Pop's The Idiot among her favorite albums.
How did she start her career in 2015?
Two events sparked her musical start: watching a San Francisco artist perform looped vocals and the death of a close friend, which led her to create her handmade debut project.
Did you know
- Her debut album was called "surely among the most overlooked debuts this calendar year" by Pitchfork.
- She was an elementary school teacher before her music career took off, and her first project was inspired by crayons.
- She supported Japanese Breakfast on their Melancholy Tour in 2025.
- Her Catholic upbringing in Sacramento influenced her music later on.
More American Musician: Singer profiles
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