Wasia Project, the alt-pop musical duo formed by siblings Will Gao and Olivia Hardy, have released new single “Bleeding Gold”, a wistful ode to growing up. This arrives alongside the announcement of their highly anticipated debut album, ‘Nocturne’, set for release on September 18 via AWAL Recordings. Fans can listen to the single HERE and pre-save the album HERE.
A second entry into ‘Nocturne’, “Bleeding Gold” is a bittersweet reflection on the transience of youth and the fleeting connections made and lost. Pieced together from fragments of a song conceived years ago, the track blends improvised and composed moments into a self-constructed reverie. Olivia’s diaphanous vocals soar over anthemic hooks and shimmering guitar notes, oscillating between plaintive and oceanic. Set against a neon-lit city backdrop, the song remains buoyant and upbeat even as it reveals the disorienting feelings that come with growing up and moving on. “Bleeding Gold” follows the earlier era-defining single “2515”, a project described by i-D as “moving toward something darker and a little more confrontational“.
With ‘Nocturne’, Wasia Project chart a new hinterland. Turning coming-of-age angst into catharsis, the debut album unfolds as a 12-track kinetic journey steeped in the lore of the night, moving between twilight introspection and the euphoric embrace of the dancefloor where bodies commune and coexist.
‘Nocturne’ is the voice of youth in flux, both immediate and reflective. It captures the residual haze of the post-COVID years, examining distance, isolation and fractured connection within a disillusioned generation suspended between physical and digital worlds. In response, the duo embrace a darker, grittier and more nocturnal sonic palette, stepping away from the lightness of their earlier work in favour of something more textured, immersive and emotionally charged. Transmuting their classical foundations through the lens of club-adjacent dance music, cinematic piano-pop balladry, modern soul and atmospheric electronica, they arrive at a sound that is at once deeply intimate and expansively cinematic.
Formed in 2019, Wasia Project’s mixed British-Chinese heritage and classical background drive a global approach to pop that cuts across musical traditions and hemispheres. Their reach has expanded rapidly, amassing over 200M streams across their catalogue and peaking at 2.4M monthly Spotify listeners. This digital momentum is mirrored by a growing international presence, with the Philippines and Indonesia now ranking among their top global streaming markets.
The duo’s breakout hit “ur so pretty” earned two sync placements in the Netflix LGBTQI+ hit series ‘Heartstopper’, in which Will Gao stars as Tao Xu, anchoring their 2022 debut EP, ‘how can I pretend?’. This was followed by a series of standalone singles like “Petals on the Moon” and their 2024 transitional EP, ‘Isotope’, which was accompanied by a short film. The band’s touring activity has cemented a dedicated global following. Their 2024 UK headline tour sold out within minutes, while their debut US run saw them support two-time GRAMMY Award winner Laufey across 13 dates. That same year, they also supported BRITs Critics’ Choice Award winner Tom Odell across 18 European dates. The duo has also made notable festival appearances at All Points East and Lollapalooza Germany. Widely championed by leading publications including British Vogue, The Guardian, NPR, GQ, DIY, and Rolling Stone, WasiaProject have also graced the covers of NME, BRICKS, Dork, and Notion.
With ‘Nocturne’, Wasia Project continues to dissolve the boundaries between genres and emotional states, crafting music that feels both deeply personal and collectively resonant. The album marks the beginning of a new creative chapter for the duo, where the interplay of stillness and euphoria, solitude and unity, defines their sonic landscape. ‘Nocturne’ is more than just an album, it’s a journey through the complexities of youth, identity, and the ever-shifting space between the digital and the real.
