On Jan. 9, Inertia posted a cover of “High” by Slow Pulp on Instagram with the caption “new year new inertia,” officially ending a nearly four-month hiatus.
Last year, Inertia bassist and McCormick sophomore Cameron Crawford formed the indie rock band with drummer and SESP sophomore Hailey Kim, guitarist and Communication sophomore Kumi Long and guitarist, vocalist and Weinberg sophomore Maya Raman.
They won Mayfest’s Battle of the Artists and a slot at Dillo Day in 2025. By the end of 2026, Crawford said Inertia aims to release an EP with five original songs.
Crawford said the group will take on a more “indie” and “alternative” style, with their own compositions and covers from bands like Momma, Destroy Boys, Soccer Mommy and Softcult. The Daily sat down with Crawford to talk about the band’s origins, brief hiatus and future projects.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
The Daily: You formed Inertia in January 2025 — releasing covers on YouTube, booking gigs, writing originals and growing a loyal fanbase. How did you find your bandmates?
Crawford: I had put out a post on the Class of 2028 (Instagram) page of, “Hey, this is me. These are some artists that I like. If you’re a musician, and you’re interested in forming a band, hit me up.” Hailey had actually DMed me and we were like, “Wait, we get along really well. We’re at the same skill level. Let’s try to form a band together.”
We had posted on our stories “If you’re a musician looking to be in a band, swipe up.” And we created a group chat with a bunch of people. As soon as we got on campus, we started doing jam sessions. We would walk around Bienen and if we (would) see somebody walking down the hallway, (we would say) “Hey, could you open this door for us?” And then we would start practicing.
One of the jam sessions was with Kumi and Maya and we really gelled together, and I’m like, “This feels right.”
The Daily: This year Inertia took a break. You and Hailey Kim started a new band: Moon Age. What were the moments that led to the hiatus and to you both starting Moon Age?
Crawford: Over the summer, Maya was like, “Hey guys, I’m taking Orgo II next quarter, and my parents told me I really need to focus on this class, and I can’t do any performances.” And, of course, everybody was upset, including Maya, especially because we ended the year on a high.
Hailey and I still wanted to perform. We’re like, “Why don’t we just start something?” And (fellow student band) Static Transmission was also on a hiatus Fall Quarter, so I’d reached out to the guitarist, and he was super down to start something new. And then, we kind of just happened upon our vocalist. She met Hailey at Norris at Night, and we just formed.
The Daily: Is Inertia getting back together for good?
Crawford: Yes, we never left! I’m so, so, so excited about this. They’re my girls. I love Moon Age as well, and it was great being in a band with them. But the connection I have with the members of Inertia is more than friends. It’s more than band members. It really is special.
The Daily: How would you describe Inertia’s musical style?
Crawford: Our style is going through a change. We did start out playing whatever. We were trying to find our sound. And Maya has just a very clean, sweet voice that suits the indie, alternative, pop genres. We just got into this cycle of “Oh, let’s keep adding these popular songs that people know. Even though they might not be exactly what we listen to, it’s what people like to hear.”
And at the end of the year, we were like “Let’s do a rebrand. Let’s start playing songs that fit more what we listen to and fit more what our originals sound like.” ‘Cause we did start writing originals, and they didn’t sound like Chappell Roan and Katy Perry. We’re not gonna play for the audience anymore. We’re gonna play for what we want to hear.
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Related Stories:
— Student band Moon Age wants to keep playing even when the sun comes up
— Rock band ‘Inertia’ sets career into motion as the winner of Battle of the Artists
