Light Upon the Lake: Demo Recordings

Light Upon the Lake, the debut from Whitney, was born from early-morning songwriting sessions during one of the most brutal winters in Chicago’s history. Vocalist/drummer Julien Ehrlich and guitarist Max Kakacek began writing unflinching, honest songs about everything from break-ups to the passing of Ehrlich’s grandfather. The pair leaned on one another for both honest critique and a sounding board for working through their newly-discovered truths. The brief, intense period of creativity for the band yielded Light Upon the Lake’s exceptional, unfussy combination of soul, breezy Sixties/Seventies rock, and somber heartbreak woven together by hopeful, golden threads. After critical acclaim and nearly nonstop touring since the album’s 2016 release, Ehrlich and Kakacek are going back to their roots – for the first time, the full demos from Light Upon the Lake will be made available. Most notably, the record includes a never-before-released track, “You and Me.” Written and performed back in 2014/15, it’s a fresh, unexpected glance into Whitney’s past creative headspace. And after a whirlwind year following the debut, the demos offer a way for listeners to get a glimpse into the very beginning of Whitney’s sound. While the band’s preparing to move forward, the Light Upon the Lake demos lay out the foundation upon which Whitney’s singular musical viewpoint was built. “After almost two years of non-stop touring we decided we wanted to close the chapter on Light Upon the Lake by releasing the songs in their earliest incarnations alongside a cover of a band favorite by Alan Toussaint, and an unreleased track called ‘You and Me.’ We're looking towards LP2 as we finish out the year on the road.” – Love, Max and Julien