Line-Up
Alex Robins - guitar, vocals
Lindsay Garfield - vocals, percussion
Tim Marcus - guitar, pedal steel
Jesse Hunt - drums
Lia Rose - keyboards, guitar, vocals
Sean Barnett - bass, vocals
Like any good San Francisco band, Or, the Whale partially owes its inception to
the online bulletin board service Craigslist; at one point, Robins and Matt Sartain
(guitar and vocals) posted an ad titled "Wanna Form a Sweet Country Rock Band?"
and recruited fellow vocalist Lindsay Garfield from a listing she had written looking
for a guitar player. From there, the three set about enlisting bandmates Julie Ann
Thomasson on keyboards and vocals, Justin Fantl on bass, Jesse Hunt on drums, and
later Tim Marcus on pedal steel guitar.
Four years later, after a live appearance on Good Morning America; attention in
USA Today, Paste, Magnet, and Billboard magazines; sold-out engagements on both
coasts; and shows with the likes of Fleet Foxes, Devil Makes Three, The Dodos, and
Two Gallants; Or, The Whale has grown into something that is neither country nor
rock, but exists somewhere in the space between the two.
What people are saying...
"Light Poles and Pines is syrupy thick in rich harmonies and a yearning swoon that
makes it impossible to ignore."
— PopMatters
And "space" is certainly the new name of the game for this band. After recording
Light Poles and Pines in a single extended weekend, the band made sure to take their
time with their new effort, meticulously arranging each song to allow room for each
instrument to contribute in the most effective way possible. The result is an album
with more complexity and shape, not to mention diversity and emotional impact.
Relax and enjoy the trip; Or, the Whale is a band that will rock you, make you dance,
and maybe even inspire you to contribute to their amazing vocal pyrotechnics—voices
everywhere, indeed.