Hummingbird [LP]

The Whiles are a Columbus, Ohio indie-folk-rock band whose work spans four different decades. Formed in the late 90s, The Whiles have shared the stage with The National, Grizzly Bear and My Morning Jacket, had a song in an Academy Award Nominated documentary (Murderball) and all of it's members have been at the center of the world renowned (and sir Paul McCartney endorsed) Sgt Peppercorn's Marathon, the only show of it's kind in which all 220 songs of the Beatles are performed in a single 14 hour performance. In 2024, The Whiles booked time with legendary producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Breeders) to record a new album. Unfortunately, Alibini tragically passed away three months before the scheduled recording dates. The Whiles pivoted and finished two records on their own in their home studios: Hummingbird, a 10 song polyrhythmic meditation on being a middle aged parent in a post-Covid world, and Colors of the Year, a rerecording and 3D reimagining of the band's 2004 masterpiece. Both albums showcase the bands ability to incorporate Beach Boys harmonies, George Harrison-esque guitar composition, the 2000s indie aesthetics of bands like The Shins and The National and Dylan/Cohen inspired lyrical precision, and an emotional vulnerability that echoes The Smiths and Elliott Smith. The Whiles bring a uniquely earnest musical kaleidoscope of both records, records that hopefully will resonate in a fragmented world that craves beauty and truth, The Whiles are excited to be an active band again, looking back and celebrate the rerecording of a lost gem (Colors of the Year), while simultaneously looking forward with a batch of new songs (Hummingbird).