Wasia Project, the musical duo formed by siblings Will Gao (Heartstopper) and Olivia Hardy, release their highly anticipated ‘Isotope’ EP today via AWAL Recordings—a triumphant sonic journey establishing a brand new chapter for the duo. The EP is accompanied by a 20-minute cinematic short film, also released today.
As a project predicated on the unique creative chemistry between siblings, it feels apt that Will and Olivia’s second EP is named ‘Isotope’. Two distinct branches of the same tree, as Wasia Project, they’ve spent the last five years applying their classical training to wide-eyed jazz-pop, racking up tens of millions of streams, and recently touring the US supporting Laufey and a European arena tour with Tom Odell. Now they’re expanding their horizons even further, pairing their genre-bending pop with an impressive audio-visual concept, showcased in a beautifully cinematic and evocative 20 minute short film.
‘Isotope’ follows the release of the stunning baroque-pop first single “Is This What Love Is?” and the tender and existential ballad “Takes Me Back Home”. Throughout the EP, the familiar warmth of nostalgia dovetails with the discomfort of the unknown, as the duo process experiences of love, anxiety, confusion and hope through a singular voice. “Why did I have to meet you / I was happy where I was,”
Olivia rues on “Somebody Come Through” over staccato bass and a frenetic Motorik rhythm. Sonically, the song picks up where last year’s standalone single “Petals On The Moon” left off, using soaring indie-pop as a foil for Olivia’s supple vocal. Elsewhere, “To Get Better” sees Will lending his soothing tones to a tale of self-doubt that features devastating confessions like, “How horrible it feels to be panicking / And, oh, how unsolvable to feel like I’m out of control.” A gorgeous slow-burn, it climaxes in a sonorous solo from guitarist Michael Jablonka.
Wasia Project’s ‘Isotope’ was demoed last September and as classical music scholars, they were arranging strings to bring their cinematic vision to life. The results are showcased on instrumental EP-closer “Tell Me Lies”, a deeply romantic epic embellishing Will’s Rachmaninoff-inspired piano theme with symphonic strings. “Isotope (interlude)” is similarly atmospheric, combining ticking beats and subaqueous synth sounds with woozy, pitch-shifted vocals.
Fans can stream Wasia Project’s ‘Isotope’ EP HERE.
