Wishwell’s Taylor Simpson on Mental Health, Music, and Not Having A ‘Plan B’
In an industry often obsessed with image over substance, Taylor Simpson and his band Wishwell are cutting through the noise with a message that matters. Born from the isolation of the pandemic and forged in the fires of personal struggle, Wishwell isn’t just a band—it’s a lifeline. From a solo project grappling with an identity crisis to a focused force for mental health awareness, Simpson sat down with The Indie Distributor to discuss the band’s evolution, their partnership with HeartSupport, and why having a “Plan B” is setting yourself up for failure. With a sound described as “crying on the dance floor” and a new single that defies industry standards, Wishwell is proving that authenticity is the loudest instrument on stage.
The Indie Distributor: We’re here with Taylor Simpson from the band Wishwell. You’ve got your hearts in the right place and you’re pushing an initiative that’s extremely important. I’d love for you to dig into that a little bit—talk about your origin story, how you guys formed, and how this got off the ground.
Taylor Simpson: Thank you for having us. Wishwell has been around for almost five years now, which is crazy to say out loud. It all started around COVID; we formed near the end of 2021. I had been in a bunch of bands beforehand, and my most recent band broke up just before COVID happened. I wanted to do my solo stuff again because I was a solo artist in between all the bands I was in throughout the years.
When stuff started to open up again, I was like, “This is my chance to get back out there.” But I didn’t want to do it by myself. I wanted a band to back me up because it’s so much more fun playing with a band. I put out some feelers, got in contact with our guitar player, Sunny—him and I are the only OG members left—and we started writing some songs.
We went through a bunch of name changes. It started as a solo project, so we called it Taylor Simpson, then it was “Taylor Simpson and [insert band name here].” We had this gag where we would change our name every show. We’d reference the venue or an inside joke. It was a fun little thing, but marketing was a nightmare because audience members would promote us using the temporary name.
We then performed as “Taylor Simpson Wishful Feeling” for a while, but realized after a tour in 2023 that the name was too long. It wasn’t marketable compared to other bands’ one or two-word names. So we settled on Wishwell.
The Indie Distributor: What started the push into mental health awareness?
Taylor Simpson: That’s kind of how the band started. I’m a pretty open book and I wear my heart on my sleeve. I’ve struggled a lot with my mental health throughout the years. I lost my parents when I was really young. I’ve lost people to suicide and I’ve had suicidal tendencies throughout my life. I’ve been battling depression, anxiety, and OCD my whole life. So it comes from a real, genuine, authentic place. The rest of the guys in the band bring their own struggles to the table as well.
We all agree that while we’re making strides, there’s still so much work that needs to be done in our industry and around the world. As a society, I don’t think we’re taking mental health as seriously as we should be. We formed the band around that time, and everything we write is rooted in mental health themes—depression, anxiety, OCD, loss. Our whole mission statement is to spread mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and draw more eyes and ears to the cause.
The Indie Distributor: Do you find that venue owners and organizers resonate with that mission? Is it something they’re welcoming, or is there resistance?
Taylor Simpson: That’s a great question. There are people out there who maybe don’t believe in mental health illnesses or come from a generation where that wasn’t a thing, so there could be pushback. But luckily, living in Canada, we live in a country that is trying its best to conquer that.
The tour we’re on right now is a mental health charity tour in partnership with HeartSupport, a non-profit that offers free mental health services to music fans who don’t know where to turn. We felt compelled to do more than just a typical band tour. We wanted to dedicate an entire tour to giving back and spreading awareness.
There was minimal pushback, for which I’m grateful. Actually, it was the opposite. Venues and organizers have been welcoming, viewing the mission as a positive effort to give back to the community.
The Indie Distributor: As an artist, do you feel like since this has become part of your identity, the writing process has changed?
Taylor Simpson: I’ve always written about this stuff because you can only write from your experiences. For me, songs are like diary entries. I write when I have something to get off my chest. Having this focus with Wishwell has given me a “north star,” or permission to really dive into my craft and express my emotions without fear. I have guys in this band that feel the same way. It allows me to not be scared to talk about anything I might have been scared to talk about previously.
The Indie Distributor: Do you find that your outspokenness opens the door for deeper conversations with other artists and the community?
Taylor Simpson: Big time. Because we’re so outspoken and we wear our hearts on our sleeves—we’re not putting this on, this is just who we are—it opens the door for so many conversations. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve played a show and a song about losing someone has touched somebody. I’ve had bandmates from other bands, audience members, or even sound techs come up and talk to me. It gives them permission to say, “Oh, it’s okay to talk about this.”
We welcome these conversations. The whole point of why we do this is to make it more accessible, less taboo, and ultimately foster a greater sense of connection.
The Indie Distributor: Let’s get into the music. You released “Second Guessing” recently. Tell us about the release.
Taylor Simpson: “Second Guessing” is the first single off our upcoming album that comes out next year. We’ve been plugging away all summer. We’ve gone through member changes, but we are now realigned and exploring new sonic landscapes. Thematically it’s still very much us—mental health first and foremost—but sonically we’re kind of all over the place.
“Second Guessing” was one of the first songs we finished. It encapsulates what we’re trying to push forward: an uplifting tone rooted in raw emotion. I describe the mood as “crying on the dance floor.” I want people to jam and rock out, but if you listen closely to the lyrics, you realize it’s heavy.
The song is about being down on yourself and lacking confidence, but consistent with our style, it maintains a silver lining: affirming that you are exactly who you need to be. It’s a short little banger, about 2:10. We felt we had said all we needed to say and refused to force extra components like a bridge just to fit a standard length. We prioritize the integrity of the statement over industry trends.
The Indie Distributor: What does success look like for you?
Taylor Simpson: For us, success is primarily being able to sustain ourselves financially without needing a day job. If I can wake up tomorrow and not go serve, I’ve made it. Beyond finances, success is seeing the positive impact Wishwell makes on people’s lives. When we see that our initiatives, our music, or our partnership with HeartSupport help people feel safe, included, and less alone—that is success.
The Indie Distributor: What advice do you have for up-and-coming indie artists just getting started?
Taylor Simpson: Find who and what you want to be as an artist before anything. Be authentically who you need to be, and people will gravitate towards that. And make sure the music’s good—practice your songwriting, practice your craft.
My genuine advice, which I got from a professor in college, is this: There is no Plan B. The moment you have a Plan B as an independent artist, you’ve already failed. You’re banking on the fact that it’ll fail because you’ve come up with a backup. You’re never going to try as hard to make Plan A work. This is Plan A, and the only Plan A.
The Indie Distributor: That’s powerful.
Taylor Simpson: Whatever “making it” means is up to you. I could say I’ve made it right now. I’ve been in a band for five years, played over a hundred shows, raised thousands of dollars for charity, and touched people in ways I never thought I could. That in itself is making it.
The Indie Distributor: Thank you so much for spending some time with us. We can’t wait to see Wishwell continue to blow up.
Taylor Simpson: Thank you. I can’t tell you how grateful we are to have the platform to speak about these things. As an indie band, it’s hard to get our stuff out there.
I just want to add that the One Beat concert, our charity event, is on Saturday, November 29th at The Ivy in Toronto. It’s our second annual year. $5 from every ticket goes towards HeartSupport to provide free mental health services. Our goal is to raise $1,000 to pay for someone’s entire year of mental health support.
The Indie Distributor: That’s extremely cool. We love what you guys are doing. Thanks again, Taylor.Taylor Simpson: Thank you so much. It’s been a blast.