Editorial Note — Soraya Alcalá
Whisper Doll emerges with a sound that blends emotional precision and artistic clarity, standing out in today’s alternative landscape. “Am I A Knife” is not just a single—it is a statement of identity, intention, and creative maturity from a project that refuses to be predictable. Their signing with Take Care Records signals a pivotal moment, backed by a label that recognizes the band’s authenticity and their ability to resonate with audiences seeking depth and originality.
© Soraya Alcalá · Original Editorial Note
The band introduces their new single while announcing their signing with Take Care Records
New York City’s Whisper Doll, the project of bandleader and musician Fiona Tagami, is excited to announce their signing to Brooklyn-based indie label, Take Care Records. Heralding the news is their first release in over 2 years, “Am I a Knife,” which cascades twinkling synths over a driving bassline. Fiona’s intense emotionality shines through in her fully expressive vocals, which reach new heights in the song’s thunderous chorus. “Oh, take me as I am, Oh, you know that you can,” she sings, reflecting on the severed reality of the male gaze from feminine desires.
Speaking about the new song, Fiona shares, “This song is my reaction to seeing men get indoctrinated into an ideology that tells them lust is sin and seeing the blame get placed on women. This makes me feel like a knife because I am in the body of a woman and can inspire feelings of desire separate from my own soul. Seeing the bodies of women become detached from their minds. Like dolls… “
An official music video for the track premieres today, which was co-directed by Fiona and creative Owen Lehman, who has previously worked with Geese and MX LONELY. The video features the four-piece band performing in a wood-drenched, gothic church, interspersed with spiritual visions and increasingly intense imagery as the song bursts at the seams. Mirroring the pressurized burden of sexuality placed on women, blood begins to spill from the grasp of a knife as the emotional toll worsens.
Fiona has a central analogy to describe the way that Whisper Doll’s world should feel. She asks listeners to imagine sneaking into a park after hours; the adrenaline combined with calm and quiet, the darkness both unnerving and comforting, the satisfaction of solitude intensified by the lateness of the hour and the knowledge that nobody’s coming to break it. There’s an otherworldliness to the feeling that is nevertheless rooted in space and time. More of this feeling can be expected on the band’s upcoming new album, which is expected later this year.
Known for their captivating live performances, Whisper Doll has built a following within NY’s rock scene and toured across the U.S. and Japan. Last week, the band previewed new material throughout a short East Coast run with shows in Boston, MA, Kingston, NY, and New Hampshire. Next week, Whisper Doll will play Night Club 101 in New York City with support from speedfriending and Panik Flower.
- WHISPER DOLL LIVE 2026
MAY
4 – Night Club 101 – New York, NY @
13 – Elsewhere – Brooklyn, NY #
LISTEN TO “AM I A KNIFE”
