Behind the Scenes of “Funeral” With Wallice

Los Angeles indie-pop star Wallice has been tearing it up in the past year with an array of releases that tackle the anxieties of Gen Z in witty and self-effacing style. Inspired in turn by the vulnerability of Thom Yorke and Lana del Rey and the rocking sensibilities of Weezer, she’s carved a niche that feels distinctly unique whilst having universal appeal.

 

Her latest release is the EP ’90s American Superstar’, which tells the story of a fictionalised Wallice living her celebrity dreams and flaming out in spectacular fashion. The final track of the EP is “Funeral”, which Wallice explains as such, “I thought about how some people say they would want their funerals to be a celebration of life, so I took it to the next level with the idea of a funeral being more like a party with a band, an open bar and more. It also fits into the broader story of the EP, which imagines a life cycle of a star– quite literally opening with their time in ‘Little League’ through to their Funeral.”

 

“Funeral” is also the third single of the EP, so Wallice filmed a video to accompany it. With all the weight of wrapping up such an outlandish story, the video needed to be just as outsized and dramatic as the song. On the conception of the video, Wallice says, “I knew I wanted it to be a funeral with a concert and haunting graveyard. I’ve worked with director Phil Stillwell in the past on my videos for ‘Hey Michael’ and ‘Little League’ – beyond just being a talented director, I knew he would exactly understand the sense of humor here. It’s tricky and pretty tongue-in-cheek, so I knew that piece would be crucial. I originally pictured having a KISS cover band as the band, but he brought up the idea of a grim reaper band following me around. I loved how that fit in with the lyrics, especially for a song that means so much to me from a songwriting perspective.”

 

Dive into exclusive behind-the-scenes images of the making of “Funeral” below!