Golden Boy, Zan Fiskum, willernie

Golden Boy is the Portland, OR-based, pop-rock, mixed media project of singer-songwriter Ian Mullin, with contributions from various other artists. The self-titled debut album features lyric-driven songs underlain by harmony-soaked melodies. The subtle poetry, glossed-over humor, and elaborate arrangements make Golden Boy a multi-faceted project, jam-packed with artistic detail, as is emblematic of this compound adjective-laden description.

Zan is a singer-songwriter raised in the small town of Maple Valley, WA where she spent most of her time either running barefoot in the forest or volunteering with her family at a local dinner theater, both of which inspired her to make the music she is today. Her angelic voice soars over her soulful and ethereal storytelling. Reminiscent of artists Lana Del Ray and Brandi Carlile, she blends the lines between indie/pop and americana/folk as she writes about childhood trauma, the intricacies of family dynamics, connection to the natural world as well as a fan-favorite: love.

Separate beginnings strung together by a shared love of music-making, Willernie pulls upon heartstrings special to the magic borne from minutia, times’ passage, and deep feelings. An homage to her hometown, Cleo Knickerbocker (lead guitar) formed Willernie in 2019 in a pre-pandemic world alongside Mat Larimer(bass). 2020’s isolation was a crucial player in the development of Knickbocker’s first EP, “Betty”, instilling new life and meaning into the project. In 2021, Anna Brown (guitar), Tommy Diaz (cello), and Mitch McDonald (drums), joined Willernie; all were randomly connected through intertwining social circles, the internet, and a shared love of creating musical and emotional soundscapes. Belonging is at the core of Willernie’s music, and similarly to the band's trajectory to one another, it serves to draw listeners in and feel at home.