Written by Walt West | November 1st, 2026
What started with a walk through an old cemetery has turned into something much bigger. For Stoneside., music isn't just about writing songs. It's about remembering people, sharing their stories, and making sure the lives they lived aren't forgotten.
There are plenty of bands out there making heavy music, but every once in a while you come across something that makes you stop and look a little closer. Stoneside. is one of those projects. With around 30,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, they've already built an audience that's taking notice of what they're doing. Their sound is dark, heavy, emotional, and takes you in a few different directions. But what really makes them interesting isn't just the music or the numbers, it's the stories behind it.
Led by Crane, Stoneside. has built its identity around something you don't hear about every day. The songs are inspired by real people who have passed away, with each story bringing its own meaning and emotion into the music. Through research, personal connections, and sometimes just a chance discovery, he finds people whose stories deserve to be heard. He then takes those stories and turns them into music. It's a pretty unique idea, and the more you learn about it, the more you realize Stoneside. is about much more than just making another heavy record.
Five Generations of Music
Music has been around Crane for as long as he can remember. Coming from five generations of musicians, he grew up surrounded by it, spending time at his grandmother's piano as a little boy. He always enjoyed making sounds and playing around with music, but it wasn't until he was around twelve years old that something really clicked. During a difficult time in his life, he discovered alternative rock and alternative metal. For the first time, music made him feel something he didn't even know was possible, and he remembers hearing music that actually made him cry. It was a completely different experience, and one that changed the way he looked at music from that point forward.
His influences today cover quite a bit of ground, including Depeche Mode, Deftones, Loathe, Portishead, Massive Attack, Machine Head, Sleep Token, Tears for Fears, Nirvana, and Converge. That's quite a mix, and it gives you a good idea of where some of the different sounds within Stoneside. come from. There's heavy music, atmosphere, emotion, and darker alternative sounds all coming together.
When describing Stoneside., Crane uses words like moody, dark, dynamic, progressive, and heavy. But after hearing the story behind the project, it's easy to see that the emotional side of the music is just as important as the sound itself.
A Walk That Changed Everything
The story behind Stoneside. actually begins during the pandemic. After losing his job, Crane found himself with a lot of time on his hands and not much direction. Things started going downhill and he began taking longer walks each day to give himself something positive to focus on. One of the places he started visiting regularly was an overgrown cemetery in the small town where he lives.
At the time, he'd been burnt out by the music industry. He hadn't written original music in three years and wasn't really looking to start another project. But sometimes the things that change our lives happen when we're not looking for them. One day, he was walking through the cemetery with his young son when the little boy asked him a question that would end up changing everything. He wanted to know if the dead people were actually inside the headstones. Crane tried to explain that they weren't in the stones themselves, but were somewhere around them. His son then placed both hands on a tombstone and said, "Well, they're on the stoneside now, daddy."
That moment stuck with him. When they got home, the ideas started flowing, and the floodgates opened. After three years away from writing original music, he suddenly had a reason to start again. And just like that, Stoneside. was born. It's one of those stories that reminds you how something small can turn into something much bigger. A simple walk with his son became the starting point for a project that would give a voice to people whose stories might otherwise never be told.
Giving People Their Stories Back
The idea behind Stoneside. is pretty simple, but the work that goes into it is anything but. Once he finds someone whose story he wants to tell, he starts learning as much as he can about that person's life. Sometimes that means researching historical events, sometimes it means following personal connections, and other times it starts with something as simple as reading a name on a headstone. One example is the band's song "A History of Violence," which explores the history of convict leasing in Sugar Land, Texas. Another is "Cold Dead Hand," a song connected to a man named John whose story has a personal connection to Crane's own family history. These aren't fictional characters created to fit a song. They're real people who lived through real experiences, and that's what makes the project so interesting.
For Crane, the story often comes before the music. He might begin with a piano melody, a guitar riff, or another musical idea that matches the feelings he gets from learning about someone's life. Other times, he already has a piece of music written and suddenly hears a story that feels like it belongs with it. It's about finding the right sound for the person and the life being remembered. But there's another part of the process that makes Stoneside. different. He explains that when it's time to record certain vocals, he'll sometimes turn off the studio lights, light candles, and take time to get himself into the emotional place of the person whose story he's telling. He tries to connect the emotions of that person's experience with some of his own personal pain before hitting record. It's an intense way to approach recording, but it helps explain why the music carries so much weight. He's not just trying to sing the words, he's trying to feel what those words mean.
When the Stories Hit Close to Home
One of the most heartbreaking examples he shared in his interview involved a girl named Rifka, someone he knew back in second grade. She was bullied constantly, and years later, a friend showed him her old yearbook. When he looked at her picture, he noticed the messages and well wishes written around it. He later learned that Rifka had died by suicide.
It's a difficult story to hear, and it's also a reminder that we don't always know what someone else is going through. The people around us can be carrying things we never see. Through music, Crane is trying to give these stories a place to be heard and remembered. He's not trying to turn someone's pain into entertainment. He's trying to make sure that person isn't reduced to a name, a photograph, or a few words on a page.
When asked how this particular release defines him as an artist, Crane gave a short answer: "It doesn't." I actually think that's an interesting response. Stoneside. isn't about fitting every story into one definition or making every song represent the band in the same way. Each person has their own story, and each song has its own reason for existing. The music is simply the way those stories are being shared.
The Music Industry: Not Every Opportunity Is a Good One
Of course, building something like this hasn't happened overnight. Stoneside. has already had some pretty exciting moments along the way, including a packed first show opening for a national act and interest from some established names in the music industry. One of those opportunities came from Sumerian Records, who presented Crane with a deal that included $100,000 upfront in exchange for an 80/20 arrangement spanning four albums. On the surface, that sounds like the kind of opportunity most independent artists dream about. But after taking a closer look at the terms, he realized there was a lot more to consider than just the initial check.
That $100,000 wasn't simply money the band got to keep. It was an advance that the label would have to recoup, meaning the band would effectively start out with a $100,000 balance to earn back through its music before receiving additional royalty payments. And that was just one part of the agreement. The terms would have carried across four albums, regardless of how successful the music became, and the label would also have received a percentage of the band's merchandise revenue. When you look at the bigger picture, that initial $100,000 starts to look a lot different.
It's a good example of something that doesn't get talked about enough in the independent music world. Getting attention from a record label can feel like the ultimate goal, especially when you're building something on your own. But an advance isn't free money, and a big number on paper doesn't always mean you're getting a good deal. What matters is understanding what you're giving up in return and what that could mean down the road. For Crane, the opportunity was there, but so was the realization that not every deal is worth taking. Sometimes protecting what you're building means knowing when to walk away, even when the name attached to the opportunity carries some serious weight.
And while the industry attention is certainly exciting, I get the feeling that the moments that mean the most to him are a little different. He's received messages from people who have survived suicide attempts and people who have lost loved ones in tragic circumstances. Some have reached out simply because something in the music made them feel comfortable enough to share what they've been carrying. Crane says those conversations are some of the most meaningful moments of the entire project. Knowing that something he's created has helped someone feel heard or given them a reason to reach out is something he doesn't take lightly. He described it as one of those rare moments when he feels like maybe he can make a difference that day.
For any artist, connecting with listeners is important. But there's something different about knowing your music has helped someone through a difficult moment or made them feel a little less alone. It gives the work another purpose, one that goes beyond streams, ticket sales, or how many people show up to a show.
The Road Ahead
When asked where he sees himself in five years, Crane didn't pretend to have it all figured out. In fact, he admitted that if someone had told him five years ago that the music he was making at home would lead to where he is today, he probably wouldn't have believed them. At the time, he had convinced himself that he was too old, not talented enough, and finished with writing music altogether.
Now, he's found himself building something he never expected. And maybe that's part of what makes the story behind Stoneside. so interesting. It wasn't some carefully planned career move. It came from a difficult period in life, a walk through a cemetery, and a conversation with his son that opened up an entirely new direction.
When asked why people should give Stoneside. a listen, Crane had a pretty straightforward answer: "Because the art of storytelling is dying. Come and listen to a story."
It's a simple statement, but it pretty much sums up everything the project is about. In a world where music is constantly being released, shared, and sometimes forgotten just as quickly, Stoneside. is taking a different approach. They're asking listeners to slow down, pay attention, and hear about the people behind the songs.
Before wrapping up his interview, Crane left us with one more thought that I think deserves to be shared. He reminded readers that nobody is going to write "Fortune 500 CEO" on their tombstone. They're going to remember the person, the relationships, and the people who loved them. His message was to do what you love, because at the end of the day, the time we have is ours to make something of.
And that might be the biggest takeaway from Stoneside.. Every person has a story. Some are happy, some are painful, and some are stories that never got the attention they deserved. Through heavy music and a very different approach to songwriting, Stoneside. is doing its part to make sure those stories aren't lost.