serpentwithfeet

Under the name serpentwithfeet, Josiah Wise fuses R&B, gospel, classical, and electronic elements into emotionally charged tracks that capture the complete range of his experiences as a gay Black man. Classical study combined with lifelong church singing shaped a voice that glides across productions blending physical and spiritual dimensions, drawing from sources such as Brandy, Björk, Antonin Dvořák, and Toni Morrison. Early projects like the 2016 Blisters EP and 2018’s Soil often carried dense, introspective textures alongside their beauty, whereas 2021’s Deacon, paired with the Deacon’s Grove EP, revealed a brighter, more buoyant perspective and sonic approach. He maintained that core identity through live performance on the 2023 production Heart of Brick and the 2024 sensual, rhythm-driven album Grip, even as he broadened his artistic scope.

Baltimore was the setting for Wise’s upbringing in a religious household where his father ran a Christian bookstore and his mother directed a choir. At age six he entered the church choir, and gospel alongside classical music formed his initial listening habits. Membership in the Maryland State Boys Choir preceded his time in the Baltimore City College Choir during high school, where the ensemble’s equal emphasis on classical repertoire and the contributions of Black composers and performers left a lasting impression. That discovery prompted his relocation to Philadelphia for classical vocal training at the University of the Arts. After conservatory rejections blocked further formal study, he spent time in Paris and several years immersed in Philadelphia’s neo-soul community before settling in New York City in 2013, supporting himself while developing his own recordings.

A pivotal 2014 composition, “Curiosity of Other Men,” centered on an infatuation and paired his expressive vocals with a Tchaikovsky sample, establishing the template for subsequent work. Tri Angle’s Robin Carolan heard the track in 2015, took on management duties, and oversaw the September 2016 release of the Blisters EP, whose Haxan Cloak production earned support from Ty Dolla $ign and Björk. Wise assembled his debut album the following year with co-producers including Clams Casino, Katie Gately, and Paul Epworth; Soil, issued in June 2018 and shaped by a breakup together with the strength of his voice, received broad critical praise. That same year he also contributed to BROCKHAMPTON’s iridescence.

The reflective 2019 single “Receipts” featured Ty Dolla $ign, after which Wise joined Björk on tour and participated in a remix of her “Blissing Me.” Additional 2020 appearances included a cameo on Ellie Goulding’s Brightest Blue and a reunion with Ty Dolla $ign on “Ego Death” from the Featuring Ty Dolla $ign project, which also involved FKA twigs, Kanye West, and Skrillex; he simultaneously issued the Apparition EP on Secretly Canadian. Wynne Bennett’s production gave the short collection a cathartic yet lighter character that signaled an evolution in Wise’s sound. Following his guest spot on Virgil Abloh’s January 2021 single “Delicate Limbs,” serpentwithfeet released the second album, Deacon, in March. The gentler atmosphere of Apparition continued, with contributions from Sampha, Nao, and Lil Silva. Deacon’s Grove arrived that November and contained a remix of “Fellowship” with Ambré and Alex Isley. He closed the year with the Elujay collaboration “Luvaroq” and a version of Labi Siffre’s “Bless the Telephone.”

Collaborations in 2022 encompassed the Moby track “on air,” a guest appearance on Björk’s Fossora, and the solo single “I’m Pressed.” In 2023 the production Heart of Brick debuted, honoring the multi-generational resilience of the Black queer community through choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, visuals by Wu Tsang, and live music from Wise. Several of those pieces reappeared on the 2024 album Grip. With guest spots from Ty Dolla $ign, Yanga YaYa, Mick Jenkins, and Orion Sun, the record followed the developing romance between two men in a gay Black nightclub, threading together dance music, hip-hop, and R&B.