London-based shoegazers Whitelands release “Blankspace”, the fourth single from their forthcoming album ‘Sunlight Echoes’, arriving January 30 via Sonic Cathedral. Premiered on Matt Wilkinson’s Apple Music 1 show, the bleak but brilliantly catchy track contrasts with the more overt pop stylings of recent singles, carrying real grit beneath its melody as it tackles a particularly dark period in singer Etienne Quartey-Papafio’s life. “I was faced with mortality and very difficult things,” he says. “I’m still not sure how to talk about it.” Bassist Vanessa Govinden expands that the song confronts death, grief, and mortality head-on. “This one song became a way to carry all of that heaviness.” The track arrives with a striking visualizer by guitarist Michael Adelaja, following November’s “Songbird (Forever)”, which garnered praise from CLASH, Brooklyn Vegan, and Stereogum.
‘Sunlight Echoes’ builds on 2024’s ‘Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day’ with a more expansive sound that takes them out of the shoegaze shadows to somewhere bigger, brighter, and poppier. Produced by Ian Flynn and mixed by double Grammy Award winner Eduardo De La Paz, the record features soaring string arrangements by Iskra Strings and guest vocals from Sonic Cathedral labelmate Emma Anderson of Lush. The ten tracks chart a story of musical and spiritual growth as the young band encountered and overcame various personal and professional struggles since their debut. “We’re coming back with a lot more maturity and realness,” Quartey-Papafio says. “It shows how much more emotional our music has become.” The album balances Britpop breeziness with serious subject matter, from opener “Heat Of The Summer” through “Glance”, which depicts unrequited love inspired by Wong Kar-wai and C.S. Lewis, to the Emma Anderson-featuring “Sparklebaby”, an ode to the unbreakable bond between bandmates.
Tour Dates:
Friday 6th February – Paris, Supersonic
Saturday 7th February – The Hague, Netherlands, Grauzone Festival @ Paard
Wednesday 18th February – Birmingham, The Hare & Hounds
Thursday 19th February – Glasgow, The Hug and Pint
Friday 20th February – Leeds Hyde Park Book Club
Saturday 21st February – Newcastle upon Tyne, Zerox
Sunday 22nd February – Blackpool, The Bootleg Social
Tuesday 24th February – Manchester, YES
Wednesday 25th February – Bedford, Esquires
Thursday 26th February – London, MOTH Club
Wednesday 25th March – Brighton, The Hope and Ruin
Saturday 23rd May – Southampton, Wanderlust Festival