This Tuesday, September 29th, the lauded indie-folk rock group Whitney is set to take the stage at Memorial Auditorium in Downtown Chattanooga, supporting the band Caamp for what is set to be a powerhouse night for fans of indie-rock layered with folk sensibilities at one of the Scenic City’s biggest and best venues.
Whitney was first formed around 2014 in Chicago, Illinois, by Julian Ehrlich and Max Kakacek, who had already known each other through the tight-knit Chicago music scene, forming after Max’s band, The Smith Westerns, broke up, and Julian’s time as the drummer for Unknown Mortal Orchestra came to an end, with them both looking to expand their palette sonically.
They started recording casually together with the help of an old four-track tape machine. They became roommates in 2014, before later going on to write “Golden Days” together, and eventually inviting a few Chicago music friends into the mix. By 2016, they released their debut album, Light Upon the Lake, which is their masterpiece and one of my favorite hazy indie-folk records of the last decade.
As of 2026, and as part of their tour, they are celebrating the tenth anniversary of their flagship debut album, Light Upon the Lake, which produced nostalgic and sunny hits like the stunningly beautiful “Golden Days,” or the titular track, “Light Upon the Lake,” while other hits such as “Dave’s Song” and “No Woman” showcase not only their songwriting prowess, but their distinctive sound, featuring Julien’s high falsetto vocals, matched with warm horns and Kakacek’s rhythmic, dreamy, and soulful guitar playing…