Culture
Julien Ehrlich of Whitney Talks Simon and Garfunkel, Opening for The Decemberists
By: Emily Votaw
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Whitney’s debut 2015 effort, Light Upon the Lake (Secretly Canadian), is chockfull of melodies that one’s auditory cortex is unsettlingly familiar with, even if that squishy temporal lobe can’t quite put a finger on exactly where it’s heard them before.
Is it Roger McGuinn? Is it George Harrison? Is it Chris Hillman?
Regardless of the fact that Whitney’s third single, “No Matter Where We Go,” sounds like some effortless pop gem from a lost Byrds album, it is in fact none of the aforementioned pioneers of that breezy, West Coast sound that is responsible for the tune — it’s the product of the delectable musical inner wiring of Julien Ehrlich (formerly of Unknown Mortal Orchestra,) and Max Kakacek, two young men from Chicago, Illinois, who penned it.
The group is currently opening for The Decemberists for a few dates, which may seem like an odd combination, but may speak to the brand appeal of Whitney, and is hard at work on material for a forthcoming album. WOUB’s Emily Votaw speaks with Ehrlich about this, as well as what he’s been listening to recently, in the interview embedded above.
Whitney will perform at the Bellwether Festival in Waynesville, OH on Friday, August 10.