Wallice learned how to play music in the school band, combined with a steady diet of Weezer, Black Eyed Peas, Radiohead and Lana Del Rey. Fast forward to the present day, Wallice also now counts Adrienne Lenker, Vampire Weekend, Men I Trust and The Drums as influences. After a year of studies at the New School’s Jazz Vocal Performance program in New York City, Wallice packed her bags and headed back home to California to focus on her own music. Wallice linked back up with her childhood friend marinelli, who helped her develop a clearer direction for her voice and style.

Recently, Wallice shares her latest track and video “Hey Michael” alongside the announcement of her forthcoming debut EP Off the Rails, expected for release in early Summer. The track features her close friend and producer marinelli, who assumes the role of “Michael” for a verse, and stars in the accompanying music video, directed by Phil Stillwell, the video shows Wallice trapped at a houseparty, navigating a series of frustrating interactions with various ‘Michaels.’ In a subversion of the lyric “hey Michael, you American psycho”, a business-suit clad Wallice eventually spirals into her best comical impression of Patrick Bateman, ironically becoming worse than the ‘Michaels’ herself.

Of the song’s inspiration, Wallice explains; “Hey Michael’ is a revenge anthem for anyone who has encountered a gaslighting, manipulative person. It’s what I wish I would have said to all the ‘Michael’s’ I have met in my life. It can be substituted by many names, we all know or have met a ‘Michael’ though. Somehow the world revolves around them and they just can’t catch a break, because they never do anything wrong and it’s usually your fault. You should have listened to your gut instinct and swiped left on this Michael. This isn’t a man-hating song, it’s just something many people can relate to. Sometimes it’s embarrassing to admit just how bad a friend, date, or romantic partner was and a lot of the time, I would just smile and laugh off stupid remarks but when I think back, I wish I had told them off. But at the same time, my persona in the song is not the best person either. I literally say “I think I want to start a fight, which one is your girlfriend?” The whole song is funny because I am so focused on how shitty Michael is that I don’t even think about how shitty I might be as well.”