Along the way, family members helped her get a motel room in St. Louis and refill the gas tank in Kansas.

Three years later, she found herself at the end of a toxic relationship. She moved out on her own, and at a 2017 poetry event, she met Lee Clark Allen, an indie soul and R&B singer who was looking for a backing vocalist.

“I’ve always loved music and I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue music, but the confidence wasn’t there and I wasn’t really sure if I could actually do it,” Crutchfield, 32, said.

But she went for it, and doors began to open. Since then, she has worked with performers including singer Kayla Marque and rappers Kid Astronaut and Donny Blot.

“The idea was always there to do my own project,” she said. “It’s just that when you’re giving your all to other projects, it’s just hard to give your all to your own. So I kind of went through that whole battle.”

The COVID-19 pandemic, which hampered Denver’s live music scene, provided a window. She took her lyrics and basic song ideas to a studio, where she and producer Glenn Sawyer shaped an EP, “In My Feelings.”

She’ll put out two videos, including a live performance, for “Blossom” next month. Then it’s a follow-up single, “What If,” before the EP drops.