Wisp on ‘Your Face’, Silent Hill and Her Favourite Reddit Threads

Words: Gina Tonic | Photographer: Bethan Miller

Make it stand out

The tent stage is always a decisive one at a festival that takes place in the summer months. If it’s a British festival - as All Points East is, taking place in London over a series of weekends in August - it might be a shelter from the rain. If the weather holds out, it’s a respite from the sun’s rays. Regardless of the weather, it’s a safe space to sit down, stretch your legs and enjoy whoever is playing in a more settled state of being. The perfect setting for enjoying a bit of shoegaze, like the signature sounds of San Francisco export Natalie Lu, better known as Wisp.

As we sat, and then stood, and then inched closer to her set at the festival’s Sunday offering, the audience was enraptured by the echoing lyrics and obscured vocals of hits like Your Face and lesser known tracks like Luna. Legions of teens stormed from across the site’s grounds to get under the tent’s shelter and sway to the sweet stylings of Wisp. While not much of Lu’s charm comes from the mystery she has cultivated between her songwriting and social media presence, we grabbed a quick conversation with the musician backstage at this year’s All Points East to talk all things Reddit, Silent Hill and performing live.

Your Wikipedia made me laugh a lot — it has two sentences under the personal life section. The first mentions your university degree and then the second says “She often posts on Reddit about shoegaze.” What other communities do you frequent on there?

First of all, that’s such a funny fact. But yeah, it’s true. I don’t use Reddit a ton, but I do frequent the Shoegaze community and follow all my favourite bands there. I also really like the guitar thread community because they post really funny guitar-related stuff. I also follow the bass guitar and dream pop communities. It’s all music-related.

I read your Ask Me Anything on Reddit and loved your answer about video game vixens. Who’s your favourite?

I’d say any of the main girls from Silent Hill. They’re so stylish and cool, with that mysterious vibe I wish I had. It’s a huge compliment when people connect my music to that vibe.

Which artist are you most excited to see today?

I’m most excited to see Mitski. I’ve never seen her live, and of course, Beabadoobee. I saw her at Outside Lands last year, and she was incredible.

What do you like most about performing live?

I love the thrill of it. Being on stage and performing for people is an experience like no other. It feels almost like an out-of-body experience. I just have to take it all in and be in the zone. It’s a crazy feeling. As for my favourite song to perform, it’s definitely Your Face because I feel the most comfortable performing it. Everyone knows the words and gets really excited, which makes it something to look forward to since it’s at the end of the set.

I saw that! It’s really cute. What drew you to shoegaze as a genre? Was it always a part of your music taste?

I’ve been into shoegaze since I was about 12. My first band introduced me to it, and I started listening to bands like Slowdive and it all developed from there. It’s been a long time passion.

My final question: where did the name WISP come from?

I had about 5,000 streams on Your Face so I started a music Instagram account. I had around 300 followers and posted a sticker question asking what my artist name should be. Someone suggested "Wisp," and I thought it was perfect.

It must be great to be in dialogue with fans like that.

I still chat with the guy who suggested the name!