Whispering Lake plays queer goth pagan folk songs that are Americana with a jangly pop sensibility, catchy hooks inspired by love of Midwest twang and power pop.
The band draws influence from twang like The Replacements and Magnolia Summer, the power pop of Guided by Voices and The Incurables, and Neko Case and Brandi Carlile’s dark balladry. These songs meld ancient traditions with new ways, the name coming from a place of hazy summer days in St. Louis, Missouri.
The music is also inspired by intuitive spiritual and artistic practices: divination via everyday omens, tarot, stichomancy, scrying, and dreams.
The subject matter runs deep: the toxic legacy of Midwestern nuclear waste, the emotional impact and ennui of pandemic times, and present-day movements for peace and ecosystem restoration. The lyrics evoke cosmic sci-fi scenarios and the otherworldly, unified by a sustaining outlook of tragic optimism.
Photography courtesy of The Repressions
Whispering Lake’s collabs have included Chef Lemons and members of Impossible Bookings, Zuma and the Sin Finders, and The Morning-After Maybes, plus song circles and workshops in the Dar Williams extended universe.
The band’s travels have included performances at arts and music venues in New York City such as Porch Stomp on Governor’s Island, The Living Gallery, and Brooklyn Art Cave. Recent stops have included Texas, New Hampshire, Connecticut, California, Louisiana, Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Nevada.
Want to book the band? Get in touch!
Photography courtesy of Alex Hays
