Whitney: 2026

Chicago's Whitney were at their most relaxed and reflective for their return trip to FUV.

They performed songs from their fourth album, Small Talk, including “Dandelions,” “Won’t You Speak Your Mind,” and “Back To the Wind." Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek's bittersweet tracks feel both intimate and expansive. With help from a circle of friends adding rich layers of strings and horns, their signature falsetto and breezy sound took on a more textured, almost grand quality.

They were joined in the session by their band: JJ Kirkpatrick (trumpet, keys), Malcolm Brown (keys, vocals) Josiah Marshall(bass), and Ziyad Asrar (guitar).

Erlich and Kakacek also discussed how making this record felt like a return to their early days — loose, cozy, and rooted in the simple joy of creating music together.

[Recorded: 11/5/25;  Jim O'Hara, Erin Merriman , and James Higgins. Produced by Meghan Suma. Videographers: Therese Burgo, Lily Crean, and Alena Godas.]