Wisp – If Not Winter
Today, Wisp finally unveils her debut album, If Not Winter, a labor of love for the shoegaze genre, as fast as that may be, made by one of its biggest fans and burgeoning stars.
Along with the album we get an official video for “Black Swan.”
Wisp is living her highest fantasy, sat at the table with her idols (by the end of September she’ll have played on the same stages as both Slowdive and Deftones, two of her biggest inspirations), so it’s appropriate that If Not Winter heightens its diaristic lyrics with elements of medieval fantasy. At its core, it’s a quest, throughout which she picks up magic talismans or holy grails from villages she can now call home. Ethereal yet extremely close to the heart, it’s a triumph of brave exploration and experimental cartography. Wisp has already shared album tracks “Breathe Onto Me,” with a lustful, distorted drone, “Save me now,” her grungiest track to date which caught the eye of NPR; “Sword,” an expansive overture to the record; and “Get back to me,” perhaps the sunniest, sun-splitting-through-the-clouds moment on the record. If Not Winter is sheathed in armor that mirrors the heavier tones Wisp brings onto this record, while still maintaining the delicacy of flowy white lace underneath that her whispered vocals imply.
Inspired by a thriving community of artistic friends, mentors, and collaborators, If Not Winter finds Wisp synthesizing disparate sonic universes into a singular and evocative aesthetic. Incorporating the melodic sophistication of pop’s most versatile songwriters, folk’s narrative poetry, and the hierarchy-smashing communal ideals of hardcore, If Not Winter is a landmark release from one of 2025’s most vital young rock artists.
Says Wisp of her debut album: “If Not Winter is a look into my diary entries and all of my childhood dreams. Evoking feelings of limerence, nostalgia, infatuation to the highest levels- it’s a vulnerable reflection of my most inner thoughts and memories i wanted to eternize, to look back on, and for everyone else to relate and find meaning in.”
“Black Swan” and the accompanying video play with light and dark, and the feeling of the unknown. Since Wisp became Wisp not too long ago, she’s struggled with the idea of being perceived by so many other people as such, which takes her simultaneously away from and closer to her true self. The public light is blinding, but the eyes adjust, it’s clear that staying true to one’s self is the only path forward.
August 22: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
August 23: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
August 24: Boston, MA @ Royale Boston
August 25: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
August 27: East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium (Supporting System Of A Down & Korn)
August 28: East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium (Supporting System Of A Down & Korn)
August 31: Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field (Supporting System Of A Down & Avenged Sevenfold)
September 1: Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field (Supporting System Of A Down & Avenged Sevenfold)
September 3: Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium (Supporting System Of A Down & Deftones)
September 5: Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium (Supporting System Of A Down & Deftones)
September 6: Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
September 7: Detroit, MI @ El Club
September 8: Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
September 10: Chicago, IL @ Metro
September 11: Saint Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall
September 13: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
September 16: Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
September 18: Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl
September 19: Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
September 21: San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
September 23: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
September 26: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
September 27: El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
September 29: Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
September 30: Austin, TX @ Mohawk
October 1: Houston, TX @ Numbers
October 3: Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
October 4: Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
October 6: Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
October 7: Saint Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
October 8: Kansas City, MO @ recordbar
October 22: Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
October 23: Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute
October 24: London, UK @ EartH
October 25: Paris, FR @ Maroquinerie
October 27: Brussels, BE @ Botanique
October 28: Cologne, DE @ Luxor
October 29: Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Old Room
October 31: Hamburg, DE @ headCRASH
November 1: Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree
November 2: Warsaw, PL @ Klub Hybrydy
#whirrwhoreforlyfe