Whitney Share New Single “REAL LOVE,” Announce Forthcoming Album SPARK
Photo courtesy of the artist
Instead of dipping their toe in the water, Whitney dive straight into their new era on “REAL LOVE.” The single is the first release from their forthcoming record, SPARK, out Sept. 16 via Secretly Canadian.
The Chicago duo composed of Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek now take a sharp pivot away from the folky acoustics of their past releases and venture into glossy synth-wave. The band found themselves stuck in Portland at the onset of the pandemic after Ehrlich went to clear his head following a years-long breakup, and Kakacek followed to escape the harsh Chicago winter. While there, they agreed to make some drastic shifts to their sound, the result being the luminous lead single “REAL LOVE.” The track features incandescent synthesizers and some of the subtle softness of their early days that shines through in Ehrlich’s vocals. Just as Whitney had to say goodbye to their old sound to find one that feels authentic, the song is about a long-overdue breakup that ultimately leads you to the right love down the line.
“Max and I wrote ‘REAL LOVE’ in June 2021 right after a cross country move back to Chicago. I was experiencing heightened levels of anxiety and panic, while the entire city was re-emerging from isolation. I’ve been running away from and self medicating my anxiety for as long as I can remember, but for whatever reason, it felt like it was time to dive straight into it,” Ehrlich said in a statement. “During late night sessions over a two week period, we captured the embrace of anxiety and fear in a way that resonated with us immediately. We spent the next few summer nights driving on Ashland with the windows down and the song turned up. It felt like an emotional and musical burst of light and we’re so grateful to finally be sharing that with people.”
Whitney also announced an extensive tour through North America and the E.U./U.K. Tickets for their North American shows go on sale Friday, June 17, at 9 a.m. local time, and E.U./U.K. tickets will be on sale later this month.
Check out “REAL LOVE” below, along with the details of SPARK and Whitney’s complete list of tour dates.
