In April 2023, a Californian computer science student uploaded a moody alt.rock song called Your face to TikTok on a whim. Astonishingly, she woke up to 100,000 views the next morning. It was a moment that changed the course of Natalie Lu’s life, giving birth to Wisp – a moniker suggested by one of her first fans.

Fast-forward two years, and Natalie has had the biggest month ever. August began by ushering in her stunning debut album If not winter . It finished with stadium shows supporting System Of A Down and a mind-boggling combination of Avenged Sevenfold , Deftones and Korn . The teenager who started as a shy, mysterious shoegaze revivalist now comfortably stands on the shoulders of giants.

So, what’s all the fuss about? Natalie brings Kerrang! up to speed on the story so

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