Whispertown

Whispertown
Whispertown performing in 2017
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Indie, Soul music
Years active 2005–present
Labels Rilo Kiley, The Elected, Jenny Lewis
Associated acts Acony Records, Graveface Records
Website www.whispertown.com
Members Morgan Nagler

Whispertown is the indie project of Morgan Nagler from Los Angeles, California, formerly known as The Whispertown 2000. They have toured or performed with Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis, The Breeders, She & Him, Maria Taylor, M. Ward, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's and The Elected. Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley has stated, "Morgan Nagler is my favorite songwriter. Period."[1]

History

A native of Oregon who grew up in Los Angeles, Nagler worked as a child actor, appearing on the shows Punky Brewster and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,[2] and played Michelle Flaherty's (played by Alyson Hannigan) Band Camp friend in American Pie 2.

Nagler met and befriended fellow former child actor Blake Sennett in the mid-1990s. Soon after, he and Jenny Lewis formed the band Rilo Kiley in 1998, and Nagler also began writing songs and singing. In 2004, Nagler performed her songs before a live audience (with help from friend Tod Adrian Wisenbaker) as the opening act for The Elected, Blake Sennett's side project from Rilo Kiley. Nagler credits Sennett and Lewis for giving her the support to record and perform her own songs.

In 2005, Nagler and Wisenbaker changed the name of their group to Whispertown 2000 and asked Corbala and Maloney to join. During the fall 2006 tour, Casey Wisenbaker (Tod's brother) also joined the band.[3] Their debut album, Livin' in a Dream, was released in 2006. It was produced by Blake Sennett and Jimmy Tamborello (of Dntel and The Postal Service). Additional performers include Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett and Johnathan Rice. Maloney parted ways with the band in 2007.

Nagler co-wrote Rilo Kiley's 'Dreamworld' from their fourth and final full-length 2007 full length, Under the Blacklight. 'Dreamworld' was included in Rolling Stones's "16 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs (Not by Fleetwood Mac)"[4] and also listed in KROQ's top songs of 2007.[5]

On October 21, 2008, the band released their second full-length album, Swim, on Acony Records. Along with this new release, the official name of the band changed to The Whispertown 2000. Additional performers include Jenny Lewis, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Nagler co-wrote 'Sweet Tooth' from David Rawlings 2009 A Friend of a Friend.

On March 20, 2012 Nagler released the EP "Parallel" under the name Whispertown. "Parallel" was her second release on Acony Records. The EP was recorded and mixed by Andy LeMaster (of Bright Eyes), co-produced by Jake Bellows (of Neva Dinova), and executive produced by David Rawlings.[6] NPR premiered the video for "Parallel" on July 3, 2013 calling it "luscious and expansive."[7] Paste gave "Parallel" a 7.1 calling it "resoundingly solid... keeping a balance between two divergent aesthetics (singer-songwriter fare and classic country heft)."[8] Nagler was featured in Rolling Stone's profile on Laurel Canyon's revival at the home of Jonathan Wilson and how "the former L.A. home base of Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne is now a hub to a new wave of hippie rockers."[9]

Nagler starred in the movie Pleased To Meet Me, featuring Aimee Mann, John Doe (musician), Loudon Wainwright III and Joe Henry. The film was released in 2013.[10] That same year, Haim released the song "Falling," co-written by Nagler.[11] It was the third single from their debut studio album Days Are Gone and peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.

Kim Deal & Nagler released The Root/Range on Castle split 7" in 2014.[12] Pitchfork premiered the video for "The Root" on March 21, 2014.[13] The lyric video for "Range on Castle was premiered by Bob Boilen on NPR Music on July 10, 2014.[14]

Whispertown released I'm A Man on September 1, 2017 on Graveface Records.[15] The title track premiered on Impose on July 17, 2017 and was KCRW's "Top Tune" on August 17, 2017.[1] Whispertown opened for M. Ward for a string of west coast dates in October 2017.[16] Nagler is featured in Kevin Morby's video for the title track from his new album City Music.[17]

Discography

Co-writes & Other Appearances

Members

  • Morgan Nagler – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Songwriter
  • Jake Bellows – Guitar, Vocals

Former members

  • Tod Adrian Wisenbaker – Guitar, Drums
  • Vanesa Corbala – Vocals, Drums, Percussion
  • Casey Wisenbaker – Bass, Guitar, Drums
  • Colt Maloney – Bass

References

  1. 1 2 "Whispertown: I'm a Man". 14 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Morgan Nagler's Parallel Lives - Interview Magazine". 11 March 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "Paste Magazine :: Daytrotter :: Unique session recordings from today's best music artists". www.daytrotter.com. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Spanos, Reed Fischer,Keith Harris,Will Hermes,Daniel Kreps,Nick Murray,Brittany (14 January 2015). "16 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs (Not by Fleetwood Mac)". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2007 Countdown List". www.radiohitlist.com. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  6. ↑ "Song Premiere: Whispertown - "Open The Other Eye"". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  7. ↑ "First Watch: Whispertown Shows Stunning 'Parallel' Worlds". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Whispertown: Parallel". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Eliscu, Jenny (28 August 2012). "Hot Scene: The Return to Laurel Canyon". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Morgan Nagler". IMDb. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Falling - Single by Haim". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "Q&A: Kim Deal On Her Solo 7″ Series, Making New Breeders Music, And Her Lifelong Obsession With Gear". 7 April 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  13. ↑ "Watch Kim Deal's Video For New Solo Single "The Root" - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "Kim Deal & Morgan Nagler, 'Range on Castle'". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  15. ↑ "Whispertown, "I'm A Man" - New Music - Impose Magazine". 17 July 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  16. ↑ "M. Ward". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  17. ↑ KevinMorbyVEVO (6 June 2017). "Kevin Morby - City Music (Official Video)". Retrieved 29 August 2018 – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "RELEASES - Team Love Records - New Paltz, NY". www.team-love.com. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  19. ↑ "Gillian Welch & David Rawlings: The Fresh Air Interview". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
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