Wasia Project search for constant inspiration on buoyant new single “Petals on the Moon”

Written in the summer of 2022, "Petals on the Moon" opens with a simple, bouncy piano motif before singer Olivia Hardy’s vocals arrive to punctuate each arriving beat. With a beautiful mix of heartfelt joy and weighty musical theatre-esque bravado, the song’s simplicity shines throughout, reminiscent of earlier 2010s, Bruno Mars pop-hits. Pulling in lyrical elements of the duo’s inspirations such as Mitski and Weyes Blood, the track was produced in collaboration with Irish production duo St. Francis Hotel, who most recently have worked alongside the links of Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz, and WILDES. The song was written in an attempt to introduce a more uplifting sound to their live set, giving fans something to dance to.

“It’s about constantly wanting more” the duo explained of the track, “and getting through life as if you were a petal on the moon”.

Wasia Project began life when brother/sister duo Will Gao and Olivia Hardy came together to create something new and exciting in early 2019. Inspired by their mixed British-Asian heritage and their shared classical music training, they decided to give a more global look at the pop sphere in the hopes of creating something as vast as it was meaningful. Blending elements of jazz, trip-hop, disco, eastern Asian culture and British honesty and endeavour, the duo quickly generated a cult following online.

The Wasia Project burst onto the scene in 2019 with the release of their heavy debut single "Why Don’t U Love Me". Since then, the band have released three singles "Burning Eyes R Calling", "U Deserve" and "Misfit Biscuit". Last year saw Wasia Project drop their debut EP how can i pretend?, a cutting four-track project which cuts straight to the core of what it means to be in and fall out of love. The project was a huge success, quickly gaining the group a hugely committed audience and saw them sell out shows across the world, including London’s Omeara.

Away from the microphone, the band’s stature increased further when Will was cast in the role of Tao Xu in Netflix’s Heartstopper; a British coming-of-age LGBTQI+ story which quickly became one of the biggest hits of the streamer’s history, with fans worldwide spending over 2.5 billion minutes tuning in to see the latest twists in leads Charlie and Nick love story.

With new music on the horizon, as well as Heartstopper season 2, Wasia Project are set for a big 2023. "Petals on the Moon" is the perfect illustration of the bands' talents and a wonderful indication of all that’s to come.