How Chicago-Based Band Whitney Packs and Parties on Tour
For Here Magazine, Whitney band members Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich share stories and packing lists from their days on tour and nights on stage.
It’s a rainy day in New York City, and I’m sitting at the Ace Hotel with Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich of Chicago-based band Whitney. In the background of our interview, you can hear the distinct snap, crackle, and pop of two PBR cans opening, and despite it being in the middle of a workday, I’m tempted to ask them to grab one out of the fridge for me, too.
The two remind me so much of my own friends that I have to remember that I’m here to interview and not crack open a cold one with them. They’re laid-back, unpretentious, honest, and every other word for “chill” that exists in the English lexicon, and it’s a good thing, too. After nearly a decade spent together in bands, on tour, and making music, the two friends could have easily driven each other crazy years ago. Instead, they’ve found that few things can come between them—leaving plenty of room for songwriting and shenanigans.
Ahead of the release of their sophomore album Forever Turned Around, set to drop on August 30, I caught up with the pair to find out what they take with them on the road—and left with stories from their life on tour, including band members’ odd quirks, their favorite bars around the world, and their methods for making friends wherever they go.
Full story here. Photos by Timothy Shivers.
