Austin alt-pop artist Dossey is set to release her highly anticipated new EP,Crying in Public, across all streaming platforms Friday, April 4, followed by a blowout release party at Mohawk on April 5.

This classic punk-inspired album blends the raw energy of late '70s New York punk with modern rock and a dash of 90s grunge for good measure.

Accompanying the title track's release is a vibey music video full of cameos from local musicians, artists, and influencers.

"That whole [music video] shoot took, like, two hours tops," Dossey says. "Everybody I thought was going to be there didn't end up being there, so it [was] this random collection of people, which ended up being really fun for me."

The song itself, "Crying in Public," was inspired by Dossey's own experiences crying with friends and fans in restaurants, in bars, or on stage, and just how important it is to truly feel what's happening in the moment.

"I had a baby, like, three and a half years ago. The older I get and the more 'Mom' I get, the more I realize how special it is to have friends where you can tell each other everything without judgement and just cry — even when it's public," she says. "I've felt that a lot during shows, too."

"If we let music do what it's going to do in us," she adds, "we can experience something really beautiful."

Aside from the title track, the EP includes four other songs:

• Cheap Tricks: A danceable and darker-feeling song. It's still fun and poppy, but a little more psychedelic with a dash of "found Jesus on a mushroom trip in the desert."
• Crying in Public: This song is upbeat; total "glitter grunge." It's filled with a lot of fun call-and-response, and even delivers the positive message that crying in public is a good thing.
• Beat: This song feels much more chill and reminiscent of classic 90s grunge, especially following the uber-pop bop about crying.
• Pressure: Another pop-punk song, but add lots of groovy guitar riffs.
• Let 'Em Talk: The perfect finale to the EP sounds like a fun anthem you'd find in the beginning of a 90s movie about high school summer break. These upbeat refrains on repeat are begging for a sing-along.

Each song has its own sound and story, but overall, the EP feels post-punk, new wave, and ready for the dance floor with long guitar riffs, groovy baselines, and lots of energetic call-and-response action. True to punk's spirit, this five-song EP came out pretty unfiltered.

"I've never done a project this quickly," Dossey says. "I wrote all the songs and did all the demos within, like, five weeks, which is really unusual for me. But it feels like the most real statement I've made musically in a long time."

Dossey attributes this to a newfound freedom in being a mom, where she's been forced to let a lot of her perfectionist tendencies go. There's just not the time or energy for it.

"I have to be a lot less precious about things," she laughs.

Though Dossey is excited about this latest project, Crying in Public is not her first step into the spotlight here in Austin. Her breakthrough song was an 80s-inspired synth-pop anthem called "Heartbeats" that landed her on NPR's All Songs Considered and SXSW's 2019 Must-See list. Soon after, she released "Better Run," a collab with Canadian EDM producer Disero. That solidified her as a rising force in alt-pop, or what Dossey calls "glitter grunge."

Last year alone, DOSSEY dropped four new singles within four months ("Good Girls," "The Hand That Feeds," "Power!", and "Off the Earth"), played 15 shows in Austin, and played to a packed crowd at Chess Club for a 101X Homegrown double-header.

"I've been doing music for a long time and by now I've learned to go with the momentum when it's happening," she says.

These many months and years of hard work and success call for a celebration, and celebrate she will on April 5 for her release party ($15). That night Mohawk's indoor stage will be taken over by a lineup featuring pop artist Primo the Alien, dreampop duo Europa Boys, and indie rock band Nolo.

"Basically, it's just a big friend party, which I've never really gotten to do before. It's just going to be fun."