Wallice

Wallice, a Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter, blends melodic indie pop with candid, introspective songwriting. Her breakthrough arrived via the 2020 track "Punching Bag." Once she inked a deal with the British imprint Dirty Hit, subsequent releases adopted a sharper alt-rock contour, evident on the EPs 90s American Superstar (2022) and Mr. Big Shot (2023). The Jester, her first full-length album, appeared in late 2024.

An early creative spark led Wallice Hana Watanabe to explore acting in her home state of California before enrolling in jazz vocal studies at a New York college. Having already amassed a catalog of original material, she exited school to focus on music upon returning to Los Angeles. Partnering with longtime friend and producer Marinelli, she crafted a self-sufficient indie pop aesthetic shaped by formative reference points such as Lorde and Lana Del Rey, anchored by direct, relatable verses. The single "Punching Bag" rapidly accumulated millions of streams.

The 2021 EP Off the Rails supplied further singles "23" and "Headache," signaling a tougher sonic lean. She subsequently joined the U.K. roster of Dirty Hit, which put out "Wisdom Tooth" toward the end of 2021. Her 2022 EP 90s American Superstar introduced a grittier yet still tuneful alt-rock sensibility. That same year she collaborated with fellow Dirty Hit artist Oscar Lang, the British singer and songwriter, on the hazy pop cut "I've Never Been to L.A.," before issuing the spare, fingerpicked solo piece "Japan." The 2023 EP Mr. Big Shot then restored her alt-pop trajectory, featuring bright melodies and anthemic refrains. These projects paved the way for the debut album The Jester, a 14-track collection issued by Dirty Hit in November 2024 that fused her stylistic range into energetic synth pop interwoven with indie rock.