Whitney Is Holding Onto a 'SPARK' of Optimism

The Chicago-based indie duo talked to us about their third studio album 'SPARK' • [Whitney Is Holding Onto a 'SPARK' of Optimism](#toc_item_0) • [Read the full story](#toc_item_1) • [Golf and soup](#toc_item_2) • [Tee up](#toc_item_3) • [Martini music](#toc_item_4) • [🍸🍸](#toc_item_5) • [Optimism](#toc_item_6) • [What tomorrow holds](#toc_item_7) [( [] [Whitney Is Holding Onto a 'SPARK' of Optimism]( We got martinis with the Chicago-based indie duo Whitney at one of their favorite bars in Brooklyn. With their new album SPARK coming out this Friday, they spoke to us about their new pop-inspired sound and decades-long friendship. [] [Read the full story]( [( [] [Golf and soup]( [( Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek of the indie band Whitney have been going golfing a lot. At first they got into it "ironically," and because it was one of the few activities during the pandemic that forced them out of the house for hours at a time. The two musicians are certain they stand out on the golf course—their tight jeans and Ehrlich's bleach-blonde hair looking quite the opposite of the insurance salesmen types they're often paired with for 18 holes—but it's something they've picked up and kept doing, despite being pretty bad at it. They've also been making a lot of meals together in their shared Chicago walkup. Unlike golfing, they admit to being good at cooking, with guitarist Kakacek on grilling duty and drummer/vocalist Ehrlich on his "soup and sauce game," or "going crazy" with salads. After living together for nearly 10 years (save for a two-year break when they lived with their respective partners), Kakacek says the Whitney boys now have a "proper domestic life." They've leveled up from the apartment they shared in their early 20s that didn't have a working doorknob, and now try to make time to do the things that bring them joy, whether that's an afternoon golf outing or preparing a lamb ragu before hitting up their favorite bars. "We know each other probably better than we know anyone else at this point in our life," says Ehrlich. "Our friendship is the core of Whitney, and I think our creative bond and creative life and language has grown so much with this record, and that adds to our friendship, too." [] [Tee up]( [( [] [Martini music]( [( Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist Between wanting to make an album that "sounded bigger," challenging themselves to write songs that could "appeal to more people," and constantly hyping up each other's experimental choices in their home studio, the result is the greatest divergence from their stripped-back sound that fans are familiar with yet. With the addition of electronic elements, SPARK is essentially Whitney gone pop. Discussing the direction of the record over martinis (a drink order they explain was a conscious decision in an effort to rebrand themselves as a "martini band" instead of a "beer band"), they realize the band is in their playful era. "We've always let things—from the start of the band until right now—happen really organically," Kakacek says, explaining how the use of keys and drum loops came about. It was partially because they couldn't work with live musicians like they were used to and had to turn to the keyboards at their disposal during the writing process. As Ehrlich describes, "the songs felt like they were calling for a more diverse array of sound." [] [🍸🍸]( [( [] [Optimism]( [( Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist Holding onto a glimmer of hope really is as integral to SPARK as it is to Whitney. Beyond serving as the thing that united them in the first place, it's what they're committed to maintaining in both their work and personal lives. "I think that there's parts of our personality that we can't necessarily explain that reach for happiness," says Ehrlich. "For us, it might come from wanting to give people happiness, too, and showing that—our music trying to be an example of that. If it can somehow also replace the dialogue in your head for a moment, and make you feel a bit of optimism, that's great." [] [What tomorrow holds]( [( Thrillist Editorial - Favorable reviews cannot be bought. Read our [Terms & Conditions](, [Privacy Policy]( Delivered by Thrillist.com, 568 Broadway, Suite 507, New York, NY 10012 [212.966.2263]( Sent to {EMAIL}. Add themove@newsletter.thrillist.com to your safe-sender list so our emails get to your inbox. [View On The Web]( [Content Settings]( [Unsubscribe](