Whitelands - New Album 'Sunlight Echos' + Video

Whitelands

Announce New Album 'Sunlight Echos' - January 30th

Watch The Video To Brand New Single 'Glance' below

London-based band Whitelands release their second album Sunlight Echoes on January 30, 2026 via Sonic Cathedral. It builds on 2024’s Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day – the elemental debut that won them fans from Slowdive to David Jonsson – with a more expansive sound that takes them out of the shoegaze shadows to somewhere bigger, better and brighter.

This is a story of a young band on the rise; of musical and spiritual growth. Since the release of their debut, Whitelands have encountered – and overcome – various personal and professional struggles. Some of them are sadly relatable, born out of life’s many unwelcome challenges, others more specific to the harsh realities of making a living as a band in the 2020s. Never has such a combination sounded so beautiful, triumphant and life-affirming as on the ten tracks that make up Sunlight Echoes. The record is testament to the healing power of awesome music.

Produced by long-time collaborator Ian Flynn and mixed by double Grammy Award-winner Eduardo De La Paz (New Order, The Horrors, The Charlatans, The KVB, Drug Store Romeos), there are soaring string arrangements (by Iskra Strings) and Lush guest vocals from labelmate Emma Anderson.

“We’re coming back with a lot more maturity and realness,” says singer and guitarist Etienne Quartey-Papafio of their step up. “It shows how much more emotional our music has become.”

With maturity comes a new-found confidence, so not only are there stunning melodies everywhere, but Etienne’s vocals are front and centre throughout.

“Chappell Roan, Rachel Chinouriri, Sabrina Carpenter… they’ve shaped how I sing now,” he says. “I don’t want to get left behind! People on Reddit have been complaining about the state of shoegaze singers, but I think that’s where Whitelands shines. I wanted to see if there was more I could do.”

“It’s been really cool to watch Etienne push through boundaries and develop a new level of confidence with his vocals,” adds bassist Vanessa Govinden. “I like the direction we’ve taken on this album. We’re taking a risk. It’s half and half.”

She’s right – the first half of the album has an almost Britpop breeziness, that belies the serious subject matter that inspired the songs. Opener and previous single ‘Heat Of The Summer’ continues where their debut left off with ‘Now Here’s The Weather’, but the unexpected forecast is a pop earworm equally inspired by Luigi Mangione and Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing.

It’s followed by ‘Songbird (Forever)’, a string-laden slice of breathless beauty. “It’s about my friends, the important people in my life, and my spirit,” explains Etienne. “I was going through a very dark time, but love is a great thing. I’m loved by many incredible people, so I pushed myself with everything I had.”

The short and sweet ‘Shibuya Crossing’ leads into ‘Glance’. The first single proper from the record depicts a what-might-have-been scenario with someone Etienne met at a party. This all too familiar experience of unrequited love is elevated to the sublime, inspired by the work of Wong Kar-wai and C.S. Lewis. The Emma Anderson featuring ‘Sparklebaby’, meanwhile, is an ode to the band themselves, and the unbreakable bond between them.

“We’re more than a band, we’re family,” says drummer Jagun Meseorisa. “When we’re together we’re unstoppable… or at least feel unstoppable.”

But there’s no manifesting here, this is the real deal, and the other half of the album is where things start to get really heavy, with added grit and gravitas.

‘Blankspace’ deals with death and mortality head on, while the incredible ‘I Am No God, An Effigy’ is all about loneliness, self-love and perseverance.

“We’re living in an age of individualism, which makes it harder for people to face themselves honestly,” says Vanessa. “That can breed narcissism and emotional stunting. We go into that discomfort with this song, reminding us that embracing weakness is actually where growth begins.”

‘Dark Horse’ grapples with the genocide in Gaza, while ‘Mirrors’ reveals the influence of emo and hardcore bands such as High-Vis, before the sun comes up on ‘Golden Daze’, which ends the album on a beautiful and hopeful note.

The sheer poetry of Etienne’s lyrics is matched by the artwork, which unlike its predecessor, is not computer generated, but screen printed by artist and friend of the band Léa Marais, adding an emotional and human touch.

“The artwork across the album and singles is poetic in itself,” says Vanessa. “The waves are coming together and they become one. There’s rhythm in waves and this album is a mirror of our inner tides.”

Just like the sea always being there when you look out to the horizon, ebbing and flowing beneath the sun and moon, ‘Sunlight Echoes’ has staying power:

“This album is one of enduring,” says Etienne of the overarching theme. “We had family that were dying, I was broke, there was a shortage of my ADHD medication… I was suffering, but not just me, everyone around me was too.”

“The last two years have been challenging,” concludes Vanessa. “The universe really fucked with us. That’s why there are themes of loss, disconnection, fragmentation and yearning, but on the other side there is also unity and hope.”

‘Sunlight Echoes’ is a poetic, melodic statement of intent from this potent and formidable band. Whitelands have fought back and triumphed in the face of adversity: long may they continue to send their beautiful music out into the world.