From Lo-Fi Acoustic to Black Metal: Arizona’s wishlake Proves Analog is Perfect Imperfection
The local Arizona music landscape is filled with artists who refuse to be placed into a single box, but Laveen multi-instrumentalist wishlake takes sonic diversity to a completely different level.
This week on On the Record, host Spike Miller-Dargan sat down with the mastermind behind three incredibly distinct musical projects to peel back the layers on how a single musician can balance atmospheric black metal, eerie shoegaze, and raw lo-fi acoustic music.
One Musician, Three Sonic Worlds
For wishlake, musical expression changes with the seasons. Instead of confining his creativity to a single genre, he channels different moods into completely independent projects.
His primary and longest-running endeavor is his self-titled project, wishlake, a solo acoustic and alternative venture that he has been homebrewing for over 12 years. When he wants to tap into something heavier, he steps in as the bass player and keyboardist for Woe Bather, an atmospheric black metal band operating collaboratively out of Houston, Texas. Finally, his newest project, Funeral Memory, allows him to step away from the instruments entirely to serve as a vocalist, delivering a sound he describes as “Silent Hill meets shoegaze.”
“I kind of go through seasons of what I’m into,” wishlake explained during the studio interview. “This winter I was like black metal, that was my thing. Lately, it’s been wishlake. Funeral Memory is when I’m really into survival horror video games.”
For wishlake, the Flaws Are Part of the Music
What makes the project wishlake truly unique in the digital era is his stubborn dedication to traditional analog recording techniques. Driven by a childhood desire to emulate the massive, layered sounds of The Smashing Pumpkins, his grandmother bought him a Tascam cassette recorder from a pawn shop when he was a teenager.
For the first six years of his career, he recorded exclusively to cassette tapes, completely unaware that digital audio workstations (DAWs) even existed. Even today, despite having access to modern studio gear, he prefers tracking his solo music to cassette.
“There’s something about recording to tape and having all the flaws there that are so important,” wishlake said, citing alternative legend Elliott Smith as a massive influence on his philosophy. “It’s authentic.”
To achieve his signature sound, wishlake relies on layering rather than digital effects, often recording four vocal tracks and stacking multiple takes of the same $20 pawn shop Yamaha guitar.
Cult Followings and Road Trips
While wishlake admits that he prefers the isolation of the studio over the chaos of live performances, his music has managed to cross borders and build a dedicated fan base. He recalled a rewarding moment following a show in Oklahoma with one of his collaborative projects, where two fans drove six hours from Texas just to hand-deliver custom, handmade band bracelets.
That underground demand is starting to manifest into bigger logistical moves. While live sets remain sparse, live shows for Woe Bather are currently being evaluated for the end of the year, with potential tour routes targeting California and the United Kingdom.
New Music Deadlines on the Horizon
Fans of wishlake’s various musical entities have plenty of content to look forward to over the next several months. The artist confirmed a packed release calendar stretching into early next year:
- Funeral Memory: A fully completed record is officially slated to drop this August.
- Spirit Departure: A separate black metal side project tentatively titled Eternally Banished to Twilight is eyeing a November or December release.
- wishlake: A brand-new solo album titled Unnatural Degradation is undergoing final mastering touches and is scheduled for release in January.
Stay up to date on new releases and stream wishlake’s music on Spotify.
Listen, Follow, and Discover More
Listen Live: Catch new episodes of On the Record with Spike every Saturday at 7:00 PM on 88.7 The Pulse. Tune in over the air at 88.7 The Pulse or stream live online.
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Discover More: Explore additional artist interviews, local music features, and student-produced content from across Arizona at 887thepulse.com.
