Wallice – “Heaven Has To Happen” / “The Opener”

Wallice has been releasing music for a long time now, carving out a niche for herself within the indie pop/indie rock scene. Her hat trick of exceptional EPs — Off the Rails, 90s American Superstar, Mr. Big Shot — all depict an artist slowly refining her confessional, anxious songwriting with more and more confidence. It’s been exciting to see that musical growth over the past few years. That’s all finally led up to the long-awaited announcement of Wallice’s debut album The Jester, out on November 15th this year via Dirty Hit.

The two lead singles, “Heaven Has To Happen” and “The Opener,” each come with accompanying music videos… and man, are they a ride. It’s easy to see why the two songs were released together — both touch upon Wallice’s position as a rising artist, unshakeable feelings of imposter syndrome, and the apprehension of waiting for a big break that may never come.

“Heaven Has To Happen” specifically feels like it’s on the brink of devastation — a rapturous pressure cooker that’s waiting to explode. Wallice’s cutting remarks about her own unclear success (“I’m praying on the harvest moon / To keep my dreams from drying out / Heaven has to happen soon / So much danger in the drought”) spawn a number of choice lines about continuing to work towards a goal that doesn’t come with any guarantees. A swirling combination of static and rumbling bass eventually build to a killer sax solo that swoops in its third act, knocking its listener flat with its raw intensity. 

In a similar vein, “The Opener” is based off of Wallice’s autobiographical experience of opening for label-mates The 1975 in the Asia-Pacific just last year. A dream gig for any rising artist, sure, but with it comes playing set after set for a sea of blank faces who are just waiting for you to get off the stage (“I’m the opener / Talk right over me / Cause the concert starts / The second I leave”). “The Opener” is widely relatable to any musician who’s had to play second fiddle to a bigger artist, and it translates to that feeling of being unwanted despite trying your best. Through comedically clever self-roasts (“I’m a Radiohead rip-off / I’d be huge in 1993 / I live and die for Hollywood / I sacrifice my self esteem”) and depressingly undeniable fan callouts (“I’m just the opener / Getting you off for free / When you find your way home / You’ll forget about me”), Wallice turns a depressingly specific situation into one that taps into universality. Ironically, I’ve personally seen Wallice twice and she was never the opener (headlining show and at a festival slot)… but she definitely still deserves to get her time in the spotlight.

Opener no longer: if the upcoming album is as good as these two singles are suggesting, it seems that Wallice’s wishes will soon be granted.

Artist pages: Dirty Hit | Instagram | Spotify