Chicago duo Whitney have returned to our ears with “Darling,” their first release since 2023’s “Kansas” and “For A While.” The folk band, whose debut album Light Upon the Lake made Paste’s list of the greatest debut albums of the 21st century, created a twangy, meandering track that shines bright and fast, wandering down new avenues before you can meet it where it’s at.
The track flaunts everything quintessentially Whitney (echoed and double-tracked vocals, heavily reverbed keys, an undeniable groove), intensifying it with all-encompassing strings and brooding lyrics (“Darling why’d you punish me / If you didn’t think I deserved it?”). It breaks into a woodwind interlude two-thirds of the way through, eventually morphing into an acoustic-forward jam to close. Pure flute melodies are countered by thicker electric guitar tones, developing into a round that continues to grow with each pass. Static fuzzes in the background, vibrating beneath the flurry of sound at the surface.
Whitney’s fluidity creates an expectation of subverted expectations. For “Darling,” the nonlinear structure offers up space for more narrative freedom. In press materials, Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich explained the instrumental closer, calling it “a second act that serves to accept a goodbye instead of leaving it up in the air, but we think the song ultimately feels like it’s over too soon in the best way possible.”
Along with the single comes the news that Whitney have not only signed with AWAL, but that the band will embark on a headlining tour this summer with support from Folk Bitch Trio. Shows start July 20 in Lake Tahoe following their run opening for Caamp through June. Tickets are on sale here.
Check out “Darling” and Whitney’s upcoming tour dates below.
Whitney’s Upcoming Tour Dates: 06.12 – Jacobs Pavilion – Cleveland, OH# 06.14 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA# 06.15 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA# 06.18 – Westville Music Bowl – New Haven, CT# 06.20 – The Anthem – Washington, DC# 06.21 – The Anthem – Washington, DC# 07.09 – Avondale Brewing Company – Birmingham, AL% 07.10 – Firefly Distillery – North Charleston, SC% 07.11 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC% 07.12 – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre – Wilmington, NC% 07.13 – Maymont – Richmond, VA# 07.16 – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA# 07.18 – Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA# 07.19 – Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA# 07.20 – The Hangar – South Lake Tahoe, CA 07.23 – The Elm – Bozeman, MT 07.24 – The Granary – Salt Lake City, UT# 07.25 – Washington’s FoCo – Fort Collins, CO 07.26 – Fiddlers Green Amp – Greenwood Village, CO# 07.30 – State Theatre – Portland, ME* 07.31 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT* 08.02 – Osheaga Festival – Montreal, QC* 08.04 – Tree House Brewing Charlton – Charlton, MA* 08.05 – Levitate Backyard Outdoor Concert Series – Marshfield, MA* 08.06 – Stone Church – Brattleboro, VT* 08.07 – Levon Helm Studios – Woodstock, NY* 08.08 – The Recher – Towson, MD* 08.09 – The National – Richmond, VA* 08.10 – The Stone Pony – Asbury Park, NJ* 08.12 – Anthology – Rochester, NY* 08.13 – Hi-Fi Annex – Indianapolis, IN* 08.14 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH* 08.15 – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe – Kalamazoo, MI w/ Folk Bitch Trio* Supporting Caamp# Supporting Shakey Graves%
