For L.A.-based singer/songwriter Francesca Crowley, there’s a catharsis in drawing from her personal strife and embedding that pain into her music. Her new single “Red” details in raw clarity her experiences with an eating disorder, tracing her attempts to overcome the very human need to eviscerate ourselves with these demands of what we should look like or the kind of person we should be.

On “Red”, Crowley frames her struggle with a lesson from her mother: “You shine so bright, let it show.” Simple advice that cuts deep, Crowley’s songwriting takes you deep into the wells of her heart and mind—her wounds and triumphs becoming yours—delivered in a soothing croon that heals as much as it tugs on the heartstrings.

“‘Red’ tells the story of the darkest part of my eating disorder, when I was really struggling, and ends with the light; the start of my recovery,” Crowley said of the song. “Today, I am still working to be one-hundred percent healthy. I think as human beings, each of us are in some way self-critical. I struggle the most to overcome relying on others and society for validation of who I should be, more specifically how I should look, rather than trusting myself.”

Listen to Francesca Crowley’s new song “Red” below!

Crowley will be having a single release show at Highland Park Bowl in Los Angeles on August 6. Visit her website, Facebook, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.