South Carolina based indie-rock band Whitehall have released their new single “Good Guy”, their first since signing to Los Angeles, CA based Common Ground Collective. “’Good Guy’ is a car crash,” the band shares, “It’s full of nervous frustrations, self doubt, screeching tires/guitars, and the release of numerous tensions. This song contains an expanse of energy, moving between the highs and lows of extreme emotions all felt in a short amount of time.”
“’Good Guy’ is a bit of a patchwork of scenes in my life, so it sat on the shelf for a couple months while things unfolded,” vocalist/guitarist Paddy Mckiernan shared with American Songwriter. “I brought the song to the band half-done and it was really simple and a bit slower but the band heard the frustration I relayed and turned it into this tune of chaotic noise, hard stops, and really gave it the emotions it needed.”
“The lyrics take on a defeated tone and show how frustration and messing things up can impact your thoughts,” Mckiernan continued. “Small things like driving and painting poorly spiraled into these huge questions. I struggled with the idea of being a good person in these scenarios and the fear of screwing things up on a large scale. The last lines of the chorus ‘some things happen, some things don’t’ show that for me, there’s an equal amount of hope and doubt when you find yourself there.”
So you’ve heard of indie rock? Whitehall is like that stuff, but while they disarm you with their crispy and rich sounds, they’re relaying the complexity of their lives and of your own. Whitehall plays songs about things like sinking ships, being on edge, and forgetting your own name in a way that’s familiar but with striking tightness and chaotic precision. This Charleston, SC quartet wraps their earnest songs with bright and hearty music, taking a killer live show everywhere they go.
