Revenge Wife – Alien Witch
Sometimes it’s written in the stars. Revenge Wife, the fearless solo project of HOLYCHILD frontwoman Liz Nistico, believes in the signs — so much so that her debut album, Alien Witch, out September 30th, features 12 tracks, each representing a different zodiac sign. Written entirely by Nistico herself, the album journeys toward finding the balance between escapism and feeling – reckoning with the human experience, her relationships, and how life is shifting in the wake of technological advances to deliver a powerfully human, powerfully unfiltered piece of art.
The album also marks Nistico’s first foray into production – having produced the entire album herself, save one song. Inspired by the Cardigans and the Voidz, the album is a sonic shift that explores off-kilter melodies and fun instrumentation that pushes boundaries. The album’s final track is an 11-minute science fiction short story that captures the ultimate theme of the album: it’s not our fault.
Today, the acclaimed singer shares the album’s lead single “What If It *Is* Me?!” and its official music video. The track – which represents Leo on the astrology charts- was originally written back during covid lockdown.
“To me, this song is Dave Matthews with the windows down, running through a field of sunflowers,” shares Nistico. “This song is so playful, like, what if it all works out? What if I’m exactly who I think? What if it IS me?! I wrote this song during Covid on my ukulele (‘back when the bars were open’). It feels like everything is possible, I could be anyone or anything, I just haven’t made the leap yet.”
The video is directed and edited (and hand drawn) by Liz herself, shot by her good friend, cinematographer Carlos Cabrera-Mayol. This video is part 18 of the on-going Revenge Wife saga, where every video adds to the episodic story directed by Revenge Wife. Parts 16 and 17 will be out in October, so we will have to wait and see how we got here.
“This video is the essence of the album. Feminine rock in the woods near my house. Since this song is in Leo, I thought it’s so Leo to have this video be the culmination of the entire album, representing all the signs in their elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water. I’ve finally figured out a way to incorporate my drawings and I also think this is my favorite thing I’ve ever edited.”
On Alien Witch each track corresponds to a zodiac sign – used less as astrology and more as Jungian archetypes, cultural anchors for Nistico’s current fascination with opposition, and how nothing can be fully understood without its counterpart.
“Art is spiritual to me. To make art is to connect with yourself, and connecting with yourself is the essence of existence. I’m healing, I’m growing, I’m meditating in the mornings to be more loving and give light to people I know. I’m at the crystal shop looking at the aura quartz. I’m pulling the 8 of Wands in tarot, I’m ready for my life to change. Somewhere along this path, I read a quote in a book that said if a person made a song with healing energy, that energy would be palpable to the people who listened. That’s pretty much the impetus for the album, trying to heal myself and giving love energy to the people who connect with it. Inspired by ayahuasca ceremonies and old Ojai witch women, dreams of Andromeda and Pleiades, and mixed with the purity I felt when I was thrashing around at The Used concert in 2003. Maybe music can be everything.”
Nine years before TikTok caught up to her, Liz Nistico was already there. In 2015, her band HOLYCHILD’s debut, The Shape of Brat Pop to Come, used sharp social commentary to skewer culture’s fixation on fame, beauty, youth, and money. Her background as an International Affairs major, combined with her experience as a domestic violence survivor, shaped the music from the start, pushing her to dig into the roots of self-hatred in both men and women. Six years after its release, HOLYCHILD’s 2018 track “Bathroom Bitch” recently found new life as a viral TikTok anthem, proving the project was far ahead of its time.
Nistico’s career reads like a masterclass in range: she’s written songs for Future, directed music videos for Creedence Clearwater Revival and Kate Nash, made her directorial debut at MoMA, landed a song in Apple Watch’s global launch, played Lollapalooza, ACL, and Governors Ball, and penned her own column for V Magazine.
All that momentum has led to her solo project, Revenge Wife. In 2024, a clip of her dancing during a live show went viral, racking up 100 million views on Instagram alone and introducing her to a new (and not always compassionate) audience. That surge, paired with a formative dinner in Paris with therapist Esther Perel, pushed Nistico into a period of intentional action: breaking her phone addiction, reconnecting with herself outside the noise of culture, and channeling years spent teaching meditation and songwriting to Bronx fourth-graders into music built for healing.
The result of all that work is Alien Witch, Nistico’s most personal album yet — a journey through endings and new beginnings. Revenge Wife is a reflection of everywhere Nistico has been and where she’s headed next. “I can finally look back at the past 10 years and feel grateful, and that took a lot of work. I want to say everything and show how it’s been messy and uncertain but that’s what the album is for. It’s a testament to the time where I was trying to connect to myself. I so badly wanted to know what’s in my brain, uninfluenced by anyone, I wanted to wring it out of all the possible ideas, so I could feel satisfied like I gave every morsel of creativity and there’s nothing left inside me unexpressed.”
Next week, Nistico will play new music from the album with a performance at Echo Park’s Rising on the KCRW Sticky Rice Stage. See below for upcoming tour dates and stay tuned for more shows to be announced!
Revenge Wife on Tour
August 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Echo Park Rising (KCRW Sticky Rice Stage)
October 7 – New York, NY – Nightclub 101
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