Hailing from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Adam McIlwee once handled vocals and guitar in the emo/indie rock band Tigers Jaw. As Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, or simply Wicca Phase, he issues solo work that fuses hip-hop, goth, and emo, with Morrissey-inspired vocals delivering introspective, emotionally heavy lyrics over productions that recall trap, witch house, and cloud rap. McIlwee co-founded GothBoiClique and maintained links to the Thraxxhouse crew. His extensive catalog of solo material features the 2019 album Suffer On and the 2023 set Wicca Phase Springs Eternal.
The project surfaced first in 2012 on the Run for Cover Records single “Bite My Ear,” which included guest vocals from fellow Tigers Jaw member Brianna Collins. After the Fantasy Camp-produced mixtape #FEB13 arrived on Valentine’s Day 2013, McIlwee, Pat Brier, and Dennis Mishko left Tigers Jaw. Further mixtapes and EPs followed, as did guest spots on releases by GDP, Spooky Black, and Noah23. Disposition Collective issued the 2016 full-length Secret Boy.
Singles continued to surface over the next two years, joined by EPs including 2017’s Stop Torturing Me and 2018’s Corinthiax. Also in 2018, Wicca Phase joined Clams Casino and Fish Narc for the collaborative EP Spider Web. Run for Cover released the second album Suffer On in early 2019. McIlwee appeared on GothBoiClique member Døves’ 2020 mixtape ULTRACLUB4K. A split album with the hardcore band Pillars of Ivory came out in 2021, while the collaboration-heavy Full Moon Mystery Garden arrived in 2022. Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, the artist’s second Run for Cover full-length, followed in 2023.
