Wallice on the Release of Her Latest EP ‘Mr Big Shot’
This has been the summer of Wallice. Between a headlining tour, festivals and the release of her third EP, Mr Big Shot, Wallice has kept busy. Released on June 23rd, Mr Big Shot is a six track project clad in her heavy-hitting lyricism and a sound balanced between gritty rock leads and lush pop vocalities. Honing in on themes of friendship, discovery, and the trials of dreams, Mr Big Shot expands the world Wallice is building in her soundscape, paving the way for her debut album to come in the future. In a conversation with Unpublished Magazine, Wallice delved into the past year, discussing touring, festivals, and the release of her latest EP.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You’re about to wrap up your headlining tour in San Francisco! How has the past month been with touring?
[WALLICE]: I was supposed to be done tonight but I got sick at the beginning of the month. So, I had to reschedule the first few of the second half. But, it's been really amazing to see hundreds of people come to my shows every night and I'm going to be really sad when that's over in a couple of days.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Your EP Mr Big Shot has been out for about a month now. How has the response been? How are you feeling?
[WALLICE]: It's really cool because I've been touring since March nonstop. And I've been playing some of the songs live before anyone has been able to actually listen to them. So, it's really cool now that it is out there, there are people who can sing along. It's really nice when people come up to me after the show and say how much they love it. I feel like it is a growth since my last EP, just like sonically. And now I'm really excited once I get home and start being in like debut album mode. Which is daunting, but that's what's gonna be coming up.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Is there anything new that you experimented with in the creation of Mr Big Shot?
[WALLICE]: The first two EPs I made with my friend David Marinelli. I've known him since I was 10 years old basically. And the first two EP's were just us basically writing it and recording it ourselves. But this last EP, Mr Big Shot, each song was started with someone new. It was more open to collaboration and new producers, new voices and I think it brings a fresh perspective. So, it's not the same thing over and over again.
[UNPUBLISHED]: I wanted to ask you about the title of the EP, what does the phrase “Mr Big Shot” mean to you?
[WALLICE]: I include humor a lot in my lyrics. I live by not taking myself too seriously. So, this EP is a little bit more serious and authentic to me. But, I still wanted to keep it light hearted. But, I don't think I'm a big shot. But, I think it's funny to say Mr. Big Shot.
[UNPUBLISHED]: I love the heavy energy and blunt lyricism of the song “disappear” from the EP. Can you tell me about the inspiration behind this song?
[WALLICE]: This whole EP, basically most of it I made last May when I was on a writing trip in London. I think we actually started with an omnichord. My boyfriend who also is my guitar player for touring and some recording, he did the intro guitar which is very directly inspired obviously by "Weird Fishes" by Radiohead. In Rainbows is one of my favorite albums of all time. And so a lot of people are like "oh, she sampled it." But, it's not the same chords or progression. It's just the same arpeggios so it sounds similar. But, it's very obviously Radiohead inspired, they've been an inspiration to me since I was like 14. I can't really recall what lyrically drove it. I think it's just the stress of having to make more songs and not sure what to do with that. And each time I feel that way, somehow something really cool still comes out of it.
[UNPUBLISHED]: I love that you ended the EP with that song.
[WALLICE]: I think the order of albums and EPs are really important.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Was putting that song at the end intentional?
[WALLICE]: Yeah, I think I knew from the beginning that was the end of it. Like in my second EP, I knew "Funeral" was gonna be the last song on that EP too.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You’ve been touring a lot. Is there a particular song that you’ve been loving to perform live on your last leg of tour?
[WALLICE]: "Best Friend" has been out the longest and I play it towards the end of my set. And it's really cool to see people screaming along in the second verse or even just the chorus. I think people know that one the most because it's been out the longest. That's probably my favorite to play. It's also at the moment probably my favorite on the EP. But, that is always changing. And I also really like "Loser at Best" live. A couple of the shows, a lot of the crowd was singing along and it sounded like a kid's chorus almost because it's like random notes. I was almost tearing up listening to people sing along. It's really cool.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You’re playing Leeds next month! Congrats – how are you feeling about that and do you have a favorite festival?
[WALLICE]: I haven't played too many festivals. In May I played Kilby Block Party in Utah. And that lineup was just so good like The Strokes, Japanese Breakfast, my friend Spill Tab. I played at the same time as Alex G. Every hour of the day, there was someone I would want to see. But, that was a really fun festival. We've done a couple, maybe two or three, and all of them have been amazing. I'm really excited for Reading and Leeds. It'll be my first UK festival and I know that those go crazy.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You’ve played many shows in the past year, ranging from intimate venues to arenas. How was it playing arenas for the first time?
[WALLICE]: I've played maybe now like 105 shows since I started in 2021. Which is pretty crazy and ranged from like one show last year there were like eight people in the crowd in Dublin. And then the biggest show on The 1975 tour was 23,000 people, which is insane. But, I usually don't get nervous anymore. But, on our first show with The 1975, it was a 12,000 capacity arena. And I had never played in an arena before. So, I was shaking in my boots. I was so nervous. My whole band was. But, after like two of those large shows, we got used to it like just another show, same thing basically. It was so cool.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You’ve been releasing music for some time now. What are your favorite parts about releasing music and being in this industry?
[WALLICE]: I think the shows are the most fulfilling. Like seeing people sing along to words that I made in my friend's room with bunk beds. On this tour I’ve gone out to the merch after the show to talk to people and take pictures and stuff, which I know a lot of people don't do unless it's a paid experience. And I just don't really believe in that personally. But, it's been really nice to hear people be like “this song got me through blah blah blah.” A lot of people can relate to "23" especially after the pandemic and just everything's so expensive now. And it's really cool that people can relate to my words.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What have you been listening to lately? What’s been on your radar?
[WALLICE]: Right now this band Nitefire is opening for me on tour and they're really cool. I have always loved Sam Evian. Beach House, Beach Fossils. I'm listening to Mitski again. I've always loved Japanese Breakfast. And also since I've toured with The 1975, I've been listening to them too.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What are you most excited about for the future? What’s up next for you?
[WALLICE]: I'm excited to finally make an album. I think they're taken a lot more seriously than the EP's, because they're substantial amounts of work rather than fifteen minutes. Which makes sense that I'm excited to finish that. I've rarely been home this year really. So, excited to be home and work on that. And once that comes out, then I can play festivals and tour again.
