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The band made “Light Upon the Lake” with these bargain-bin jackpots in mind, re-recording songs with certain microphones to try and capture the worn-in vibe those artists’ cheaply cut demos sported by circumstance.

(Even the idea of the one-name band was inspired by the lost musician known simply as Lewis, whose albums were re-released by obscure music aficionados Light In The Attic Records in 2014.) “If there ever was a Whitney persona, it was modeled after those guys,” Kakacek says. Idiosyncratic one-man-band Abner Jay and rambling singer-songwriter Jim Ford are prime examples: After his death in 1993, Jay’s eccentric, rant-filled blues albums were re-released to critical acclaim Ford practically vanished after the 1970s, only to resurface with a celebrated album of unreleased songs in March 2007. He was found dead in his trailer home eight months later. Kakacek is fascinated by what he calls “lost musicians,” artists who are only discovered and appreciated after their time. But he did, in a matter of speaking, have parents. Whitney wasn’t fully realized - they didn’t picture what he wore or how he walked, for example. “It was a good way to bridge the gap between being buddies and start creating things on an intimate level,” Kakacek says. They called him Whitney, and wrote two of their earliest demos - “Dave’s Song” and “On My Own” - from his perspective. After writing their third song, “Golden Days,” without him, they cut Whitney from the band. In order to “get out of their heads,” they did what any enterprising millenial duo would: create an imaginary third member of the band. They struggled to work together at first. If Kakacek and Ehrlich’s AM gold atmosphere came naturally, how they captured it did not. They began writing new songs together, not forgetting how it had started. From the other side of loss, Whitney was born. There was a surge of creative energy around them, and Kakacek and Ehrlich fed off of it. Needless to say, the landlord wasn’t happy.īut the space inspired more art than partying. One year, after Kakacek invited a few bands to hang out after their sets, the apartment became the de facto after-party for the trendy Pitchfork Music Festival.

#ONE LAST SOUL BAND ALBUMS MAC#

Artists like Youth Lagoon, Mac DeMarco and DIIV stayed with them when tours brought them through the city. By 2014, this forced open-door policy led to the space becoming a hangout for a gang of young Chicago creatives like clothing designers, visual artists and, crucially, musicians. Kakacek and Ehrlich went back to working in restaurants and soon moved into a tiny apartment without a lock or handle on its front door. The project can be traced to a crippling one-two gut punch: In 2012, Kakacek and his friend, drummer Julien Ehrlich, lost their girlfriends and their band, well-renowned indie group Smith Westerns.īuzz is a flimsy thing in the music industry, and this was a stiff reminder. Whitney, his brand new country-soul band, wouldn’t exist without them. She pops in to get him one, and conversation shifts toward break-ups. But it’s hot - mid-July-in-Chicago hot - and the 7-Eleven he and his girlfriend just walked by is celebrating that holy among holy food holidays, Slurpee Week. The 25-year-old guitarist eats terribly when he’s on the road, where in just a few days, he’ll be stuck through the end of the summer.

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This is part of a series of previews showcasing bands you can catch at the 2016 Underground Music Showcase, presented by The Denver Post Community Foundation. Whitney will play the kick-off party for the UMS on Wednesday at Three Kings Tavern. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu

One last soul band albums