Dynamic duo Wasia Project shares latest song

Image credit: Leyla Pereira

Wasia Project, the musical duo formed by siblings Will Gao and Olivia Hardy, shared their new single ‘Petals On The Moon’, released via LAOLAO Records / AWAL Recordings.

Capturing a unique sound both nostalgic and future-facing, ‘Petals on the Moon’ sparkles with transcendent lightness, whilst its star-gazing and celestial lyricism incorporates influences far beyond the duo’s young years. The resonance of Olivia’s vocals are comparable to Rickie Lee Jones and Joni Mitchell in richness and maturity, and perfectly spotlighted in the song’s vibrant and multilayered production, produced by Irish production duo St. Francis Hotel. The band’s melodic complexity and achingly heartfelt lyricism channels the spirit of artists like Mitski and Weyes Blood, who they cite as influences on their sound. The single first took shape last summer with their autumn headline shows in mind, seeking an energetic song to uplift their setlist and give fans something to dance to. When it came to writing the bridge, the duo pulled up a huge bank of voice memos containing endless short snippets of random ideas. They found one they liked and inserted it into the song like a collage, and the results are utterly disarming.

The duo explain that the track is “about constantly wanting more and getting through life as if you were a petal on the moon”.

Formed in 2019, Wasia Project’s mixed British-Asian heritage and classical training have inspired them to have a pan-global approach to pop, which dynamically melds styles and influences that cut across genre lines — and even entire hemispheres of musical tradition. In their songs, hushed bedroom DIY combines with classical nous, and spiky disco melds with freewheeling jazz, in a merging that’s underpinned by the duo’s deep knowledge of both Western and East Asian Classical styles. Following their debut EP ‘how can i pretend?’, the duo have quickly gained a hugely engaged audience, with their recent London show at Omeara selling out in under 5 minutes. Will is also known for his role as Tao Xu in Netflix LGBTQI+ drama series Heartstopper, and appeared in fashion campaigns for SS Daley, and the duo both recently attended the AW22 Celine show “The Age Of Indieness” in LA.