Whitney’s “Valleys (My Love),” Europe and North American Tour Kicks Off Tonight
Photo Credit: Olivia Bee
Chicago indie folk band Whitney, comprised of vocalist and drummer Julien Ehrlich alongside guitarist Max Kakacek, are thrilled to announce their new album Forever Turned Around. The album promises glowing, light songs for midsummer days, and is set to release August 30th.
The lyrics to their first single “Giving Up” follow the sadness the title suggests. In a few expertly articulated stanzas, Whitney somberly details a couple falling out of love. Halfway through the song, the semi-swift pace quickens. The melody becomes more upbeat with a jazzy pickup. It bounces away from the slight sadness heard in the vocals while Ehrlich repeats the words “giving up” until the end.
While based in the Midwest, Whitney spends countless hours on winding scenic roads, which inspired their follow up to their lead single. “Valleys (My Love)” further sets the tone for the album. With bittersweet lyrics and a bright tune, Whitney captures the anxiety of being separated from a loved one, desperately grabbing onto fading memories while waiting to be together again.
Whitney’s previous work evokes similar feelings. Most notable is Light Upon the Lake’s “No Woman.” With a steady indie guitar track in the background, Whitney once again wonderfully pairs painful words with a cheerful air not soon forgotten. Ehrlich’s high voice fits pristinely with the light strumming of the strings, and the music radiates the wanderlust-filled feelings of change, travel, and love.
With buoyant tunes, Whitney’s songs serve beautifully for summer days spent lounging poolside. Forever Turned Around is an album about all facets of relationships, from romantic to the important bonds of friendship, unfolding all of the joy and stress that tags along.
Whitney will be touring extensively through North America and Europe with a live band composed of Ehrlich and Kakacek, along with keyboardist Malcolm Brown, guitarist Print Chouteau, bassist Josiah Marshall, trumpeter Will Miller, and Ziyad Asrar.
Preorder Forever Turned Around on iTunes, Bandcamp, or their website, here.
Tour Dates:
Mon. Aug. 5 – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Strand
Tue. Aug. 6 – Gothenburg, SE @ Pustervik
Wed. Aug. 7 – Aarhus, DK @ VoxHall
Fri. Aug. 9 – Rees-Haldern, DE @ Haldern Pop Festival
Sat. Aug. 11 – Castelbuono, IT @ Ypsigrock Festival
Tue. Aug. 13 – Bergen, NO @ Landmark
Thu. Aug. 15 – Trondheim, NO @ Pstereo
Fri. Aug. 16 – Brecon Beacons, UK @ Green Man
Sat. Aug. 17 – Mechelen, BE @ Pukkelpop
Sun. Aug. 18 – Biddinghuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
Mon. Sept. 9 – Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird
Tue. Sept. 10 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
Wed. Sept. 11 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
Thu. Sept. 12 – Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall
Fri. Sept. 13 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk - SOLD OUT
Sat. Sept. 14 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Sun. Sept. 15 – Houston, TX @ Satellite
Tue. Sept. 17 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s
Wed. Sept. 18 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Fri. Sept. 20 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Sat. Sept. 21 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Sun. Sept. 22 – Richmond, VA @ The National
Mon. Sept. 23 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Thu. Sept. 26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
Fri. Sept. 27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sat. Sept. 28 – Accord, NY @ Woodsist Festival
Sun. Sept. 29 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Tue. Oct. 1 – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace
Wed. Oct. 2 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Thu. Oct. 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Fri. Oct. 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel - SOLD OUT
Thu. Oct. 17 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Fri. Oct. 18 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
Sat. Oct. 19 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
Mon. Oct. 21 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Wed. Oct. 23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro
Thu. Oct. 24 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
Fri. Oct. 25 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
Sat. Oct. 26 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre
Sun. Oct. 27 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Wed. Oct. 30 – Chico, CA @ The Big Room at Sierra Nevada Brewery
Thu. Oct. 31 - Sonoma, CA @ Sonoma Redwood Barn
Fri. Nov. 1 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Theatre
Sat. Nov. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Sun. Nov. 3 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory San Diego
Mon. Nov. 4 – Santa Ana, CA @ Yost Theater
Fri. Nov. 8 – Reykjavik, IS @ Iceland Airwaves Sun.
Nov. 10 – Cologne, DE @ Luxor Tue. Nov. 12 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
Thu. Nov. 14 – Munich, DE @ Strom
Fri. Nov. 15 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
Sun. Nov. 17 – Copehagen, DK @ Store Vega
Mon. Nov. 18 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Thu. Nov. 21 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo
Sat. Nov. 23 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Mon. Nov. 25 – Cambridge, UK @ The Junction
Tue. Nov. 26 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
Wed. Nov. 27 – Glasgow, UK @ QMU
Thu. Nov. 28 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
Fri. Nov. 29 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
Sun. Dec. 1 – Dublin, IE @ The Academy
