New York’s Scarlett Macfarlane returns with “Winter’s Whisper,” a fun, energetic, and delightfully zany alternative-pop single that invites listeners into a world where fantasy and reality blur. Inspired initially by the image of a magical winter walk, the song quickly evolved into something far more surreal and became a reflection on how life itself often feels stranger than fiction.

“I wrote ‘Winter’s Whisper’ based on just the title and how magical a walk in a winter ‘wonderland’ could be,” Macfarlane explains. “Then words like ‘magic’ and ‘wonderland’ took me down a not-so-proverbial rabbit hole.” Drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s iconic prose, the song shifted perspective, becoming a commentary on the bizarre, confusing, dangerous, and incredible nature of reality itself. “This world, life itself, is filled with fantasy,” she says. “It can be all at once transformed by the cast of characters you encounter throughout your own zany story.”

True to its theme, the song embraces duality. The title reflects the idea that every story has more than one side and that mystery is an inescapable part of understanding the world. Musically, “Winter’s Whisper” stands out through its unexpected fusion of pop melodies with an almost rockabilly, off-kilter energy. “I think the use of an almost zany rockabilly feel in a pop track really makes this song stand out,” Macfarlane notes. “It’s just fun to listen to.”

The songwriting process became a creative puzzle, weaving familiar fragments of Alice in Wonderland into a new and personal narrative. “I basically got to stitch tiny moments from a very famous childhood story into my own interpretation of Wonderland,” she says. “It was like solving a puzzle and making the pieces fit in a way they weren’t meant to in order to make my own image.”

Production choices further amplify the song’s playful surrealism. Eerie, almost Halloween-like synth textures add character, while layered vocals recorded in a call-and-response style (subtly panned left and right) create a sense of dialogue, particularly noticeable in the bridge.

Above all else, “Winter’s Whisper” is impossible to sit still through. “I’ve tried,” she laughs. “I can’t. I haven’t met anyone who can.”