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Whispering Sons

VIERNULVIER, Democrazy & Live Nation
  • Thu 20.02
    20:30 - 22:45
    De Vooruit, Gent
    Concertzaal
    Tickets

timings tba

Belgian five-piece Whispering Sons brings a dark and unique blend of experimental and frenetic post-punk. The propulsive instrumentation combined with Fenne Kuppens’ deep vocal delivery amounts to a constant sense of unease that’s been inherent in their music since the beginnings. With their energetic and captivating performance, the band has firmly cemented themselves as a must-see live act.

Over the last years, the band has been slowly but surely redrawing their own boundaries and going beyond them. Where their debut album ‘Image’ (2018) was theatrical and widescreen, their following record ‘Several Others’ (2021) focused more on their greatest strength: sheer, unpretentious intensity. After the release of ‘Several Others’ the band started working on a new album over a period of two years. This third full-length album titled ‘The Great Calm’ might surprise long-standing Whispering Sons followers. It’s less dark than ‘Several Others’ and less grand than ‘Image’. Yet that typical Whispering Sons identity is still inherent in every song, as the band never strays far from their raw energy and emotion. This new album might be more uplifting and playful, but that ominous undertone is still lurking. 

“The record is more hopeful, there’s more beauty in it. Our last album was very dark and always very destructive. I guess this one is still a bit destructive, but there's hope in that destruction.”
- Fenne Kuppens, Whispering Sons

 

Part of

After the dark power of Image and the minimal Several Others, "The Great Calm" represents a new mindset and artistic growth. The new songs still sound familiar, though things have changed at the band: For starters, Whispering Sons are a five-piece again. Original drummer Sander Pelsmaekers had to stop making music after a nerve injury - he took on the role of tour manager in the interim - but is now able to return on synths. For his part, bassist Tuur Vandeborne has moved on to the drum chair, while Bert Vliegen - the band's regular engineer - now takes up the bass. Guitarist and songwriter Kobe Lijnen and singer and lyricist Fenne Kuppens retain their roles, but they too continued to hone their mastery for "The Great Calm.

Support: Tin Fingers

Tin Fingers is an indie band supporting a melancholic sound, yet alwayswith a twist. Based in Antwerp, Belgium, the band released their 'NoHero'EP in the summer of 2017, presenting a catchy vintage alt-popsound that resonated deeply into the indie cult veins of Belgium.Theband, known for its dreamy tunes and explosive yet romantic live shows,conquered venues in a nonchalant but nevertheless compelling way.Singles ‘Boy Boy’ and ‘Young Mother’ settled comfortably into theBelgian radio’s airwaves. Tin Fingers ended their first major tour on a highwith an intense and colorful show at Pukkelpop. On their debut album‘GrooveboxMemories’, released in 2021, the band explored electronics.Still in an organic way; creating sounds from scratch, old synthesizer blipsand beeps were sampled and tweaked, rougher organic rhythms weremixed with vintage drum box grooves. Songs ‘Red Socks’ and ‘Fomo forkids’ went down well and made the band end their tour on RockWerchter. The band takes on a darker and more melancholic direction ontheir second full album, ‘Rock Bottom Ballads’. Felix’ weeping vocals,preaching and trying to understand God, form the leitmotif. With richmelodies, haunting piano sounds, improvisations, first takes and nooverdubs, Tin Fingers is searching for pureness and simplicity. The bandis playing together intuitively, without computers, without ego, just forthe sake of music. This results in pure and minimal indie folk music,poetic and calm but still impressive.