Whalen and the Willows are releasing their second album, Redemption, with a show at the Parkway Theater on March 19. We spoke to Joshua Whalen about this very personal, very intense album and we are excited for more people to listen to it!
One of the best pandemic silver lining stories – Joshua got sober during the pandemic, at the time of writing, he has been sober for one year and five months. This album is about his journey to sobriety, starting with finding himself in a dark place or more specifically in the Whispering Pines facing ghosts; the first couple of songs on the album bring us to that experience of rock bottom. It’s bleak but cathartic. This Man brings us to a turning point and The Dark Parts brings us the first rays of hope. The rest of the album is about embracing challenge and recognizing reward.
Musically the album is more alternative rock, than their earlier release Peaceful, which was more Americana. You can feel the atmosphere of the darker days through the violin and the deep timbre of Joshua’s voice. The sound lightens with the mood when you get to Guiding Light, which feels like a rock anthem.
Joshua was clear that this album isn’t for everyone but it will find the right people. We all have dark moments and the messages of leaning into and learning from the challenge is universal but there is definitely a deeper message for people experiencing addiction and mental health issues. This may be the soundtrack to recovery.
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