Blues harp firebrand Will Wilde puts a darker spin on the season with his latest single. “Christmas Eve Blues” channels the spectral, minor-key mood of Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green era. Wilde leans into the sting of a Christmas Day heartbreak, his harp carrying the feeling while his vocal keeps to classic blues-rock delivery. A holiday tune for anyone who’s ever watched joy shimmer just out of reach on the other side of the glass.
Wilde’s February 2025 VizzTone debut, Blues Is Still Alive, drew worldwide acclaim and steady airplay, earning a spot in Classic Rock’s Tracks of the Week and SiriusXM Bluesville’s countdown of top blues tunes. His fiery harmonica work often takes the place of a lead guitar. “I’m always looking to make new sounds with the harmonica, pushing its boundaries, trying to change people’s perception of it,” Wilde says.
He’s even designed his own line of Wilde Tuned harmonicas, built to hit licks that weren’t possible before. On “Christmas Eve Blues,” his Wilde Minor-Tuned harp gives the song its edge — a tone both mournful and defiant.
Wilde first caught the internet’s ear with his jaw-dropping harmonica takes on classic rock guitar solos. Those viral performances built a YouTube following of more than 100,000 subscribers and caught the attention of blues-rock powerhouse Walter Trout.
Trout soon invited Wilde to join him on his album Broken, which went on to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart. When it came time for Wilde’s VizzTone debut The Blues Is Still Alive, Trout returned the favor, laying down guitar on the title track and first single. “It was my great honor to be part of this music with the incredible Will Wilde. He’s the best! I look forward to hopefully more musical collaborations with this amazing young musician!” enthused Trout.
