Biography
Whitney crafts mellow indie pop and rock that draws alternately from electronic textures or folk- and country-rock influences, centered on the songwriting partnership of Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek, both previously of Smith Westerns. Ehrlich's soft falsetto leads the ensemble, whose debut full-length, Light Upon the Lake from 2016, secured positions on several Billboard side charts encompassing rock, alternative, and vinyl. Their third album, Candid in 2020, focused on reinterpretations of material by John Denver, SWV, and Damien Jurado, after which the group shifted toward electronic washes and J Dilla-inspired beats on SPARK, issued in 2022.
Chicago indie rock band Smith Westerns revealed their breakup in late 2014 following three albums; frontman Cullen Omori pursued solo work while Ehrlich, handling lead vocals from behind the drum kit, and Kakacek on guitar established Whitney. The outfit's inaugural single, "No Woman," surfaced in January 2016, and they generated attention two months later via a South by Southwest Music Festival appearance. With a rotating cast of additional musicians, Whitney soon secured support slots alongside NE-HI, Wild Nothing, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, for whom Ehrlich had previously drummed. Festival engagements at Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, and Pitchfork Music Festival followed before Light Upon the Lake reached stores via Secretly Canadian that June. Credited to the core lineup of Ehrlich, Kakacek, Malcolm Brown, Tracy Print Chouteau, Charles Glanders, Josiah Marshall, and Will Miller, the set charted on Billboard's rock, alternative, and independent albums lists and reached the Top Ten of the Vinyl Albums tally while earning year-end placements from NME, Paste, and The Guardian.
A pair of covers emerged in 2017—Lion's "You've Got a Woman" and Dolly Parton's "Gonna Hurry (As Slow as I Can)"—issued by Secretly Canadian as a 12" 45-rpm single. Whitney resurfaced in 2019 with the Brad Cook (Megafaun) and Jonathan Rado (Foxygen)-produced sophomore album Forever Turned Around, which incorporated contributions from original rhythm guitarist Ziyad Asrar, who rejoined the touring roster. The next year brought the covers collection Candid, highlighted by a version of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" featuring Waxahatchee.
Even prior to issuing the stylistically consistent follow-up to their debut, both Ehrlich and Kakacek had begun to lose interest in that earlier sonic approach. Ehrlich relocated from Chicago to Portland in early 2020, with Kakacek arriving just four days before global pandemic lockdowns halted touring and created space for what they viewed as a necessary redirection. Over the subsequent 14 months they assembled material incorporating rich electronics, spare hip-hop beats, Wurlitzer, and a relaxed overall feel. After returning to Chicago in May 2021 they completed a final track (lead single "REAL LOVE") and traveled to Texas to record with Cook and John Congleton. SPARK appeared on Secretly Canadian in September 2022. The band opened 2023 by releasing a studio take of the live staple "Kansas," captured during the 2019 Light Upon the Lake sessions.
Chicago indie rock band Smith Westerns revealed their breakup in late 2014 following three albums; frontman Cullen Omori pursued solo work while Ehrlich, handling lead vocals from behind the drum kit, and Kakacek on guitar established Whitney. The outfit's inaugural single, "No Woman," surfaced in January 2016, and they generated attention two months later via a South by Southwest Music Festival appearance. With a rotating cast of additional musicians, Whitney soon secured support slots alongside NE-HI, Wild Nothing, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, for whom Ehrlich had previously drummed. Festival engagements at Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, and Pitchfork Music Festival followed before Light Upon the Lake reached stores via Secretly Canadian that June. Credited to the core lineup of Ehrlich, Kakacek, Malcolm Brown, Tracy Print Chouteau, Charles Glanders, Josiah Marshall, and Will Miller, the set charted on Billboard's rock, alternative, and independent albums lists and reached the Top Ten of the Vinyl Albums tally while earning year-end placements from NME, Paste, and The Guardian.
A pair of covers emerged in 2017—Lion's "You've Got a Woman" and Dolly Parton's "Gonna Hurry (As Slow as I Can)"—issued by Secretly Canadian as a 12" 45-rpm single. Whitney resurfaced in 2019 with the Brad Cook (Megafaun) and Jonathan Rado (Foxygen)-produced sophomore album Forever Turned Around, which incorporated contributions from original rhythm guitarist Ziyad Asrar, who rejoined the touring roster. The next year brought the covers collection Candid, highlighted by a version of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" featuring Waxahatchee.
Even prior to issuing the stylistically consistent follow-up to their debut, both Ehrlich and Kakacek had begun to lose interest in that earlier sonic approach. Ehrlich relocated from Chicago to Portland in early 2020, with Kakacek arriving just four days before global pandemic lockdowns halted touring and created space for what they viewed as a necessary redirection. Over the subsequent 14 months they assembled material incorporating rich electronics, spare hip-hop beats, Wurlitzer, and a relaxed overall feel. After returning to Chicago in May 2021 they completed a final track (lead single "REAL LOVE") and traveled to Texas to record with Cook and John Congleton. SPARK appeared on Secretly Canadian in September 2022. The band opened 2023 by releasing a studio take of the live staple "Kansas," captured during the 2019 Light Upon the Lake sessions.
Albums
See You Later, I'm Gone
2026
Small Talk
2025
SPARK
2022
Candid
2020
Light Upon the Lake: Demo Recordings
2017
Singles
