Whitelands are crossing the Atlantic. The London-based shoegazers head to SXSW in Austin, Texas this week for their first ever US dates, bringing the live show behind their acclaimed second album ‘Sunlight Echoes’, out now on Sonic Cathedral. The band arrives fresh off a successful EU and UK run that culminated in a packed show at MOTH Club in Hackney, and they have five confirmed festival appearances across four days.
‘Sunlight Echoes’ builds on their elemental 2024 debut ‘Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day’, expanding the sound into something bigger, brighter, and more assured. Produced by Ian Flynn and mixed by double Grammy Award-winner Eduardo De La Paz (New Order, The Horrors, The Charlatans), the album features string arrangements by Iskra Strings and guest vocals from Lush’s Emma Anderson. Brooklyn Vegan called them “the most exciting thing to happen to shoegaze in a while,” and The Big Takeover praised it as “a rare achievement, an immersive, intelligent record.” The Yorkshire Post went further, calling Whitelands simply “Britain’s best young shoegaze band.”
Live, the band delivers exactly what the records promise: layered, reverb-heavy guitars, pure pop hooks, and frontman Etienne’s vocals soaring over the top. It is the kind of performance that earns a devoted room fast, and SXSW audiences are about to find out why.
SXSW Shows:
Fri Mar 13, Bootleg BBQ @ Sam’s Town Point, Austin, TX, 5:10pm CDT
Fri Mar 13, Pandora AMP x JAM Industries @ Shangri La, Austin, TX, 8:40pm CDT
Sat Mar 14, BBC Introducing @ The British Music Embassy, Palm Door on Sixth, Austin, TX, 10:40pm CDT
Sun Mar 15, Beyond The Music @ The 13th Floor, Austin, TX, 12midnight CDT
Mon Mar 16, Rockaway Beach @ Swan Dive, Austin, TX, 12midnight CDT