whitney
Whitney’s 2000s-Era Pop Inspirations Hit Just Right on Spark
Whitney vocalist-drummer Julien Ehrlich and guitarist Max Kakacek came of age at a time when Usher, Ne-Yo, and Gwen Stefani ruled the pop world. And for the first time since forming the band in 2015, the duo haven’t been afraid to incorporate those inspirations into their own music. Indeed, their third original album, Spark (out Sept. 16 on Secretly Canadian), filters its gently jangling indie rock through a homespun prism of synth-kissed, head-nodding grooves. That the album was created during the pandemic in the wake of breakups and deaths makes its deeply felt music all the more revelatory, as if Ehrlich and Kakacek happily, accidentally stumbled upon the purest version of Whitney’s sound to date. In a Portland, Oregon rental house where Ehrlich had landed after the end of a long romanc...
Whitney Gets Groovy on ‘Real Love,’ Announces New Album
Whitney returns with a groovy, synth-tinged sound on its new song “Real Love,” the first single from its forthcoming Secretly Canadian album Spark (due September 16). An accompanying video for the track, directed by Aaron Brown, is also a departure for Whitney, with its psychedelic imagery and disco ball shimmer adding to the vibes. [embedded content][embedded content] Whitney, now a duo comprised of Julien Ehlrich and Max Kakacek, recorded Spark with producers Brad Cook and John Congleton. Work began on the project when both musicians found themselves in Portland at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had time to just sit and watch the body of work grow in real time,” Ehlrich says. “We were just stacking stronger and stronger songs on top of each other.” Adds Kakacek, “[This is] o...
Whitney Announce Covers Album, Release Rendition Of The Roches’ ‘Hammond Song’
Few bands can emulate the twang of John Denver. Fewer can come close to showcasing the soul of SWV. And, well, only one band can really do both. Chi-town indie rockers Whitney announced this morning that they’ll be releasing a 10-track album, Candid, next month with covers ranging from Denver’s “Country Roads” to SWV’s “Rain.” Also in the mix are tracks by Kelela, David Byrne and The Roches, whose single “Hammond Song” was reimagined by the group and shared today in promotion of the record. “This could’ve been as simple as saying we really love these songs and we love our bandmates and making a covers record just felt right,” drummer and singer Julien Ehrlich said, “but it truly became an exploration into how we can evolve as a band going forward.” On Twitter, the group explained that they...
