The Whips bring the ache of your early 20s into full color with their newest single, “Together in Agony.” It feels like scrolling through old texts and realizing you are still in the story. The track captures everything tangled and overwhelming about love in motion. It’s full of tension, tenderness, and the quiet urgency of emotions you can’t quite name yet.
Guitarist and co-vocalist Max Indiveri wrote the song and recorded it with the band in their 10×10 bedroom studio. “The kind of relationship you know is breaking, but you’re still in it because you’re scared to start over,” Indiveri says. The sound mirrors that feeling. It begins in a hush, slowly gathering guitars, layered harmonies, and drums until it reaches emotional detonation. The arrangement leaves room for reflection, with each part stretching and expanding like a conversation with yourself.
The group’s roots go back to a Kansas City school bus, where bassist Quinn Cosgrove and drummer Miles Patterson first decided to form a band. Indiveri joined soon after. Max Cooper entered through an Instagram search. Cooper recently turned all four chairs on NBC’s The Voice and sang on Team Michael Bublé, and his presence brings power to the vocal mix. The song reflects a shared decision to focus on feeling and storytelling, shaped by four musicians locked into each other’s rhythm.
Many fans first discovered The Whips through their viral clips on TikTok and Instagram. From call-and-response solos to jammy college hallway breakdowns, their videos showed off playful musicianship and a deep sense of connection. One clip reached a million views. Another hit five. Now, “Together in Agony” leads into a full slate of new music arriving with Wichita label Midtopia. The band is rolling out the project through the Buy Before You Stream initiative, which gives fans the chance to connect physically with the music before it appears on streaming platforms.
There’s something beautiful about a band that built its audience online and now offers a release you can hold. You can imagine someone who once double-tapped a solo battle now setting a needle on vinyl, letting the first notes of “Together in Agony” fill the room with no notifications in sight.