Wasia Project, the musical duo formed by siblings Will Gao and Olivia Hardy, today share a new single “Takes Me Back Home”, a tender yet swooning ballad that explores “what it means to belong somewhere, and a yearning to connect with others“. It comes with the announcement of their highly anticipated ‘Isotope’ EP: a triumphant sonic journey establishing a brand new chapter for the duo.
Boasting an effortless depth and sweetness, Olivia’s dulcet tones are spotlighted on “Takes Me Back Home”, cocooned amongst soft piano, the low hum of organ and the gentle swell of strings are all underpinned by an existential yearning. Wasia Project says: “’Takes Me Back Home’ is essentially a love song about feeling safe and at home with another person. It has also come to reflect much more than that, covering deeper feelings of what it means to belong somewhere, and a yearning to connect with others.”
This new single follows the recent single “Is This What Love Is?”. With its snatched pentatonic runs that punctuate the stunning baroque-pop, it was the first puzzle piece in this next chapter for the duo, and already a live favourite. 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, with the Philippines and Indonesia currently rank among their top 10 most streamed markets globally. Now they’re expanding their horizons even further, pairing their genre-bending pop with an impressive audio-visual concept, which will be unveiled in the coming months.
In their songs, bedroom DIY combines with classical intellect, and spiky disco melds with freewheeling jazz, in a merging that’s underpinned by the duo’s deep knowledge of distinct musical styles. The resonance of Olivia’s vocals are comparable to Rickie Lee Jones and Joni Mitchell in richness and maturity, and the band’s melodic complexity and achingly heartfelt lyricism channels the spirit of artists like Mitski, Weyes Blood, and Angel Olsen, who they cite as influences on their sound.
Will is also known for his role as Tao Xu in Netflix LGBTQIAN+ smash hit drama series Heartstopper and the breakout hit “ur so pretty”, a yearningly romantic piano-led ballad which melded the duo’s jazz and pop sensibilities to sublime effect, was featured in the pivotal final scene of the second series season finale, which aired early August 2023.
Fans can stream Wasia Project’s Take Me Back Home here: wasiaproject.ffm.to/takesmebackhome
pre-save the EP here: wasiaproject.ffm.to/isotope