My Current Favorite Musicians | By SonderJewlz

Hey, Lazulis, As an artist weaving my own path, I’m always listening, learning, and absorbing. These days, I’ve been especially drawn to three musicians, my current favorites, whose work excites me, inspires me, and pushes me into new creative territory. So here they are, in no particular order: Wisp, Glare, and Whirr.

What my setup for recording and producing music looked like in a Berklee Dorm

Wisp

Wisp is the musical alias of Natalie R. Lu, a rising Gen Z artist from San Francisco. Emerging in 2023, Wisp brings a dreamy mix of shoegaze, nu-gaze, and alternative rock — layering heavy guitars with soft, ethereal vocals. Her music captures that delicate space between melancholy and magic, and it’s been incredible watching her redefine the genre for a new generation.

Discography Highlights:

Pandora (EP, 2024)

If Not Winter (Album, 2025)

“Your Face” (Single, 2023)

She was the first shoegaze artist that I discovered, and as I listened to her music I dove deeper into the world of soft vocals and distortion. After listening to her most famous song, "Your Face", a door of possibilities opened for me, and I wrote my song "New Person", my first song that leaned towards shoegaze. She also inspires me, as she is an asian female rock artist and so am I.

Glare

Glare is a nu-gaze and shoegaze band from the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Formed in 2017, they blend heavy distortion with melodic undercurrents that feel simultaneously raw and transcendent. Their sound is drenched in emotion, loud, hazy, and heartbreakingly beautiful.

Discography Highlights:

Heavenly (EP, 2021)

Sunset Funeral (Album, 2025)

“Bloom” (Single, 2023)

“Mourning Haze” (Single, 2024)

Glare's music, especially their new album Sunset Funeral, is a mix of drums that beat into your soul, guitar with reverb that bounces across the room, and vocals that circle your head. Their music is magical, a twist on shoegaze that gives it a calm and dreamy feeling, before the beat drop.

Whirr

Whirr (formerly Whirl) is a California-based shoegaze band formed in 2010. They’ve become a cornerstone of modern shoegaze, carrying forward the dreamy, distorted energy of the ’90s while carving out their own sonic identity. Their work feels like a conversation between noise and nostalgia.

Discography Highlights:

Distressor (EP, 2010)

Pipe Dreams (Album, 2012)

Sway (Album, 2014)

Feels Like You (Album, 2019)

Raw Blue (Album, 2024)

Whirr’s music is experimental. Their new album Raw Blue really matches with it's name: Raw and sad. Their lyrics aren't just sounds to go along with the harmony, like most shoegaze songs, their lyrics carry emotions, through extended metaphors throughout the whole song. For example, in their song "Walk Through Space" they use galaxy imagery and the phrase of the title to convey a feeling: I would do anything for you, but would you for me? Additionally, they don't just stick to 4/4, they play with different time signatures, and aren't afraid to use interesting keys and chords.

Listening to Wisp, Glare, and Whirr has been like stepping into three different worlds. Each are unique, yet all resonating with the same emotional pulse. Together, they represent everything I love about music: atmosphere, emotions, and experimentation.

Their sounds inspire me to keep evolving, keep trying new things, and keep chasing that moment when noise becomes emotion.

Stay curious. Stay bold.

— SonderJewlz

📸 SonderJewlz

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