Whitelands share new single ‘Blankspace’ ahead of the release of their second album Sunlight Echoes – out on January 30. Watch the striking visualiser by Whitelands’ guitarist Michael Adelaja.
Whitelands tour the EU and UK throughout February, starting in Paris on February 6th and arrive at Zerox, Newcastle on 21st February.
Rising London-based shoegazers Whitelands have released their new single, ‘Blankspace’. The bleak but brilliantly catchy track premiered earlier this afternoon on Matt Wilkinson’s Apple Music 1 show and is out now on all digital platforms.
‘Blankspace’ is the fourth single from the band’s upcoming album Sunlight Echoes, which is out on January 30, and in contrast to the more overt pop stylings of their recent run of singles, this one has some real grit underpinning the melody. Unsurprising, as it’s about a particularly dark period in singer Etienne Quartey-Papafio’s life.
“I was faced with mortality and very difficult things,” he says. “I’m still not sure how to talk about it.”
“It’s about coming face-to-face with death, grief and mortality,” expands bassist Vanessa Govinden. “This one song became a way to carry all of that heaviness.”
Watch the striking visualiser by guitarist Michael Adelaja below.
Whitelands – ‘Blankspace’
“The three tracks out from it so far – ‘Songbird (Forever)’, ‘Glance’ and ‘Heat Of The Summer’ – feature chiming guitar tones that evoke bright rays of sunshine on a frosty winter’s morning” – NME’s most anticipated albums of 2026
“While often grouped with the new shoegaze wave, Whitelands stretch beyond genre on their second album. Rooted in hypnagogic pop and free from easy categorisation, the three singles released so far soar” – Brooklyn Vegan’s 96 albums we’re anticipating in 2026
“‘Songbird (Forever)’ is a moment of melodic immediacy… An evocative piece of songwriting” – CLASH on ‘Songbird (Forever)’
“The kind of song you listen to in bed while staring at the ceiling, wondering if your crush or recent ex is thinking about you. It’s devastating, sprawling, and searching, with long-limbed guitar riffs and passionate vocals” – Stereogum on ‘Glance’
“The smart pop and clever arrangements of ‘Glance’ and ‘Songbird (Forever)’ suggest Whitelands are in danger of evolving into a heavyweight proposition” – Uncut on Sunlight Echoes
After a well-received set at Rockaway Beach festival last weekend, Whitelands play the following shows:
February 6 – Paris – Supersonic
February 7 – The Hague – Grauzone Festival
February 18 – Birmingham – Hare & Hounds
February 19 – Glasgow – The Hug And Pint
February 20 – Leeds – Hyde Park Book Club
February 21 – Newcastle – Zerox
February 22 – Blackpool – Bootleg Social
February 24 – Manchester – YES Basement
February 25 – Bedford – Esquires
February 26 – London – MOTH Club
March 25 – Brighton – The Hope And Ruin
May 23 – Southampton – Wanderlust Festival
Tickets for all shows are on sale now.