“Everything’s Going to Be Ok”: An Interview with Whitney: 10 Years of Light Upon The Lake

Last Updated on 2026-07-14 by a-indie

On 『Small Talk』

Whitney – Back to the Wind (Official Video)
from the 4th Studio Album 『Small Talk』

Wakiki: The title, the cover, and the music itself on 『Small Talk』 gave us the impression of returning to something like an origin point, or a sense of home. Was there a particular feeling or mood you wanted to express on this album, now that you’ve come through everything you have on this journey?

Julien: It sounds kind of boring and obvious to say but I think with 『Small Talk』 we really just wanted to write the best songs with the best arrangements that we possibly could. We consciously took a break from the “Whitney sound” on 『SPARK』 and that break allowed us to come back to some of the tools and instruments that we were maybe more known for with a fresh perspective on 『Small Talk』. I haven’t gone back and listened to 『Small Talk』 in quite a while but the songs have been so fun to play on tour that it feels like we at least partially accomplished our goal!

Whitney – REAL LOVE (Official Video)
from the 3rd Studio Album 『SPARK』

Wakiki: 『Small Talk』 was the first album you fully produced entirely on your own, just the two of you. Compared to working with an outside producer, were there things that felt freeing, or conversely, things that were difficult?

Julien: It honestly didn’t feel that much different than working with the producers we’ve worked with in the past. Maybe that’s because we’ve always been friends with our producers? Maybe it’s because the process is always pretty democratic whether there’s a producer or not? I’m not sure. We do 95% of the arrangements before we enter the studio so there’s never been a ton of pivotal decisions made in the studio anyways during Whitney album sessions. But long story short it felt great and I could definitely see us doing it again.

Wakiki: Listening to 『Small Talk』, I personally felt a sense of comfort, like spending easy, unremarkable time with someone close to you. What moments or settings do you hope people will listen to this album in?

Julien: Good question. I’ve heard that it’s a great album to put on during a long drive or train ride. For some reason we were watching a lot of skateboarding videos while writing and recording it so maybe it’s a good record to skate to as well?? Listening while moving is probably a good idea.