Biography
Canada's White Lung fuse riot grrrl, post-punk, and hardcore punk into a visceral, unrelenting style all their own. Early attention came through the Vancouver Emergency Room art space community during the 2000s, propelled by the 2010 release It's the Evil and the 2012 album Sorry. Although punk's raw force stays central to their identity, the band refined its focus to confront feminism, body dysmorphia, and sexual assault—subjects that shaped Deep Fantasy in 2014 and Paradise in 2016. By 2022 the group turned toward birth and parenthood on Premonition.
White Lung originated in Vancouver in 2006 when singer Mish Barber-Way, drummer Anne Marie Vassiliou, guitarist Natasha Reich, and bassist Grady MacIntosh united around a shared passion for the 1990s icons Hole, Bikini Kill, and Nirvana. They quickly became fixtures in the city's D.I.Y. underground. Their first recording, the 2007 7" "Local Garbage," appeared soon afterward.
A Maximum Rocknroll cover feature brought broader exposure, leading to a deal with the Canadian hardcore imprint Deranged Records and a string of additional 7"s in classic punk fashion. Reich exited in 2008, replaced on guitar by Kenneth William, who contributed to the band's debut full-length, 2010's It's the Evil.
The follow-up LP, Sorry, arrived in May 2012 and introduced greater melodicism within their abrasive framework. The group then toured alongside Ceremony and Wax Idols. MacIntosh departed in 2013 just as work began on the third album. Further shifts occurred when Barber-Way relocated to Los Angeles and William moved to Montreal. The band chose to continue as a trio despite these geographic separations and, around the same period, signed with Domino Recording Company. Deep Fantasy followed in 2014.
White Lung resurfaced in 2016 with Paradise, produced by Lars Stalfors, which paired punishing, metal-infused riffs with memorable choruses. Their next record, Premonition, had been slated for 2019 but was postponed first by the arrival of Barber-Way's first child and later by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jesse Gander produced the set, which surfaced in December 2022 as Barber-Way—now mother to a second child—reflected on parenthood and its transformations. Before the album's arrival the band disclosed that Premonition would serve as their final release, marking the end of the group.
White Lung originated in Vancouver in 2006 when singer Mish Barber-Way, drummer Anne Marie Vassiliou, guitarist Natasha Reich, and bassist Grady MacIntosh united around a shared passion for the 1990s icons Hole, Bikini Kill, and Nirvana. They quickly became fixtures in the city's D.I.Y. underground. Their first recording, the 2007 7" "Local Garbage," appeared soon afterward.
A Maximum Rocknroll cover feature brought broader exposure, leading to a deal with the Canadian hardcore imprint Deranged Records and a string of additional 7"s in classic punk fashion. Reich exited in 2008, replaced on guitar by Kenneth William, who contributed to the band's debut full-length, 2010's It's the Evil.
The follow-up LP, Sorry, arrived in May 2012 and introduced greater melodicism within their abrasive framework. The group then toured alongside Ceremony and Wax Idols. MacIntosh departed in 2013 just as work began on the third album. Further shifts occurred when Barber-Way relocated to Los Angeles and William moved to Montreal. The band chose to continue as a trio despite these geographic separations and, around the same period, signed with Domino Recording Company. Deep Fantasy followed in 2014.
White Lung resurfaced in 2016 with Paradise, produced by Lars Stalfors, which paired punishing, metal-infused riffs with memorable choruses. Their next record, Premonition, had been slated for 2019 but was postponed first by the arrival of Barber-Way's first child and later by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jesse Gander produced the set, which surfaced in December 2022 as Barber-Way—now mother to a second child—reflected on parenthood and its transformations. Before the album's arrival the band disclosed that Premonition would serve as their final release, marking the end of the group.
Albums
Premonition
2022
Paradise
2016
Deep Fantasy
2014
Blow It South / Down with You
2013
Two of You
2013
White Lung
2010
Atlanta - Single
2010
Singles
