Whitney, a band from Chicago, set to drop new album ‘Small Talk’
thirtieth birthday, he walked out of the Chicago Yacht Club after a late-night show and into the empty streets. He liked how the city looked so quiet and felt special that just a few friends could watch him play.
At the time, Kakacek was working on his band Whitney’s third album, “Small Talk.” The session was going so well that he reconsidered the move to L.A. He realized he could learn from people in Chicago just like in California. “Small Talk” is less about a city being noisy in a cool way and more about living somewhere muted and boring. As Ehrlich sang on previous Whitney songs, “No Matter Where We Go,” he could end up back where he started.
But getting there was hard. Kakacek and Ehrlich worked nearly six months under intense conditions mixing and recording their album without any producers in the studio. It’s a departure from Whitney’s first two records: The band has always trusted people to be involved in the songwriting process off the album and energy.
“It creates an interesting scenario when you self-produce your own record,” Ehrlich said. “It’s weird, and nice, and kind of liberating.” They could re-create songs in a way they never had before, flipping them around or taking their time getting a drum part perfect.
Working alone helped Whitney find its sound as a duo. The band focused on only the necessary parts, as though they were “rock” in a “rock band.” They recorded drums in Chicago’s famed Pieholden Suite Sound for hours straight.
Now, on “Small Talk,” they’ve found much-needed confidence. The songs are quiet and controlled, with the band feeling sure of themselves in a way they never have before. Kakacek and Ehrlich sound relaxed, free to be sad or happy in a deep way.
The one-time self-doubt is mostly gone, Ehrlich said. But he still remembers the struggles Whitney had in getting to where they wanted to be. “The first two albums, we didn’t know what the album was until we finished it,” he said. “This time, I think we’re more in control.”
For Kakacek, that means being more than writing pretty things on a guitar. “I think a lot of this record is really just about balance,” he said. “Being able to live a rounded life, and also being able to find beauty when you don’t feel so inspired.”
He’s also learned to say no to go after what is most important to hand moving forward. “I think we’re trying to embody that in the music,” Kakacek said. “Be creative, decisive, and be married to the idea.”
When they released “Small Talk,” Whitney knew they had something special. Many songs were ready in a matter of minutes. Others took hours to get just right, only to be cut or changed. The album is a celebration of the band’s growth, an acknowledgment that they’ve gotten closer to being the band they want to be.