MoPOP’s Sound Off! gives up-and-coming artists mentorship from industry leaders, entrée into an artistic community invested in their growth, connections with peer musicians, and the chance to showcase their original music in MoPOP’s iconic Sky Church venue.

This years’ three live showcases — set for February 19, February 26, and March 5 — raise the bar for an all-ages show with a first-class experience at MoPOP for performers and the audience alike.

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Instant Crush is all about blurring the lines between glitter and grunge. Mixing high-energy guitar riffs with sparkling synths and vocal melodies, their music transcends the pop genre by creating something organic. Starting as the solo project of Megan Cannon, Instant Crush has since evolved to a collaboration between friends who want to capture lighting in a bottle.

We took some time to get to know Instant Crush ahead of the artist's Sound Off! 2022 performance on February 19 at MoPOP. Check out what they had to say!

• Follow Instant Crush on Instagram

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background as an artist!

Instant Crush: "My name is Megan Cannon, I'm from the Tacoma area, and I'm a 19-year-old singer and songwriter. I've been writing and producing under the name [Instant Crush] for about [two-and-a-half years] now. It's just been a lot of stuff that I work in my bedroom. I'm heavily influenced by a lot of alternative and pop acts."

How did you hear about Sound Off! and what led you to apply for the program?

Instant Crush: "I found out about Sound Off! by watching videos from local bands that I loved. I've been big into the music scene and I always wanted to create something that was bigger than myself, and that was an alternative band and I just never had the right time or people I knew to actually do it. So in this past year during COVID, I had a lot of time to learn how to write and produce, and I made the music I wanted to."

What are you hoping to bring to the Sound Off! community and Seattle music scene?

Instant Crush: "I would like to bring to the group a little bit different of a genre. Growing up, because I did watch so many bands in the local scene, I haven't seen a lot of pop alternative bands where it's a lot of production as well as live music instrumentation. So I think I just want to bring that genre more to the Seattle area because it's what I'm a big fan of and I wish there was more like it."

Instant Crush

Why do you make music?

Instant Crush: "I make music because it makes me happy. I'm a very creative, neurotic person and I need a lot of things to do, even if it's just working on crafts or music things. I just have a lot going on in my brain and I need to get it out in some way. The way I songwrite, I just hear the full productions in my head most of the time and it's kind of like a mission of piecing together different things and how I can get that vision. "

What's your strangest music memory?

Instant Crush: "I guess a weird story I have is I did this band camp when I was younger and we definitely focused a lot on alternative rock music. So it was really funny to see me, age 15, in a dress, in my first band, and we're covering 'Sober' by Tool, which I had never really knew that song until I covered it. And it definitely was not in my range and I forgot the words on stage, so I like mumbled. And that lives on YouTube forever."

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT SOUND OFF! 2022...

We know you may be curious about health and safety protocols, so here are the extra steps we’re taking for these in-person Sound Off! showcases in our 140,000 square foot museum:

• Performers will be separated from the audience by a 20-foot buffer.
• All guests 12 years and older will be required to show proof of full vaccination or a negative PCR COVID test taken within 72 hours prior to the event.
• Masks are required for guests 3 years and older.
• Please only bring what you need as coat check is currently closed.
• There will be no concessions sold during Sound Off! events. Please come hydrated and consider eating before you arrive.
• Hand sanitizer dispensers are available throughout the museum.

More information about our COVID policies is available on our website.

Can't attend the live Sound Off! showcases this year? You can still support MoPOP's youth artist development programs by making a gift.

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Special thanks to our Sound Off! community partner KEXP.

Learn more about Sound Off! 2022 + for contests, the latest news, and behind-the-scenes content, be sure to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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