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Oct 08, 2025 By Mark Redfern Photography by Alexa Viscious

Chicago duo Whitney are releasing a new album, Small Talk, on November 7 via AWAL. Now they have shared the album’s fourth single, “Damage.” Check out the song below, followed by the band’s tour dates.

Whitney is former Smith Westerners guitarist Max Kakacek and Unknown Mortal Orchestra drummer Julien Ehrlich. The group formed in 2015 and since then has released four LPs. Their last full-length was 2022’s SPARK.

Ehrlich had this to say about the single in a press release: “We were searching for the sentiment of ‘Damage’ for a while. In hindsight, I think we were trying to avoid writing a breakup song, and in the process ignoring what the song was calling for. I remember once we finally got the first chorus ironed out we were able to see that it was ok to write another song about heartbreak as long as we completed it in a way that felt unique and undeniably ‘Whitney.’”

Small Talk includes “Darling,” a new song they shared in May. Then when the album was announced they shared “Dandelions.” Its next single, “Back to the Wind,” made our Songs of the Week list.

Ehrlich had this to say about “Back to the Wind” in a press release: “I think what’s stuck with me most about ‘Back To The Wind’ is the way the imagery ended up unfolding across the instrumental. In the past we’ve always insisted that each word on a lyric sheet so deliberately leads you back to the sentiment of the hook that it almost leaves no room for imagination. With ‘BTTW’ it felt more compelling to steer the second half into a series of images that might mean something different to each person that hears it. And since this was the first song we wrote for the record I think it informed the way we pushed ourselves to explore and dig deeper lyrically overall. Also Max’s guitar solo goes crazy.”

Read our My Favorite Album interview with the band.

Whitney Tour Dates:

2025:

Thur Oct 16 - Brisbane @ Crowbar
Fri Oct 17 - Melbourne @ Corner Hotel
Sat Oct 18 - Sydney @ SXSW, Tumbalong Park
Sun Nov 2 - Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle - SOLD OUT
Sun Nov 2 - Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle (Early Show)

2026:

Fri Feb 6 - Paris @ Gaite Lyrique
Sat Feb 7 - Lyon @ Epicerie Moderne
Sun Feb 8 - Milan @ Magnolia (main room)
Tue Feb10 - Geneva @ Antigel Festival 2026
Wed Feb 11 - Munich @ Hansa 39
Thurs Feb 12 - Berlin @ Lido
Sat Feb14 - Copenhagen @ DR Studie 2
Sun Feb 15 - Hamburg @ Knust
Tues Feb 17 - Brussels @ AB Ballroom
Wed Feb18 - Utrecht @ Tivoli Vredenburg (Pandora Hall)
Thurs Feb 19 - Cologne @ Gebäude 9
Sat Feb 21 - Dublin 1 @ The Academy Dublin
Sun Feb 22- Manchester @ Band on the Wall
Tues Feb 24 - Glasgow @ The Art School
Thurs Feb 26 - Bristol @ Electric Bristol
Fri Feb 27 - London @ Hackney Church
Sat Feb 28 - London @ Hackney Church
Sat Mar 7- Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Sun Mar 8- Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Wed Mar 11- Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall
Thurs Mar 12- San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Fri Mar 13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Sat Mar 14 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Tues April 7 - Kingston, NY @ Assembly
Wed April 8 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thurs April 9 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Fri April 10 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Sat, April 11 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Sun April 12 - Portland, ME @ The State Theatre
Tues April 14 - Ardmore, PA @ Ardmore Music Hall
Wed April 15 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
Thurs Apr 16 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe
Fri April 17 - Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
Sat April 18 - Montreal, QC @ Théâtre Beanfield

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