With a newly released second album under their belts, Whitelands kicked off their first headline tour at the iconic Hare & Hounds in Birmingham.
Stepping on to a stage in Birmingham when the calendar marks 18th February seems to be a forming habit for Whitelands. Two years ago in 2024, it was at the Institute as guests of the shoegaze icons, Slowdive. Fast forward to 2026, with that tour and numerous and varied festival appearances under their belt, it’s their turn to step out of the shadows and take on the mantle of headliners.
Kicking things off, local Oliver Beardmore lays down a marker. Backed by a three piece band, he dips into the rich vein of layered atmospheres that the shoegaze genre draws on. But around that he weaves his own spells, his vocals bringing to mind the great Jeff Buckley. And that is never a bad thing. The six song set showcases talented songwriting in abundance and by the time closer “Nothing’s Like it Was Before” brings things to a close, the packed room offers a warm response as the band leave the stage.
Having been at the aforementioned Institute gig when one sensed that Whitelands were very much a band still finding their feet (and somewhat in awe of the support billing they had landed), there is a level of curiosity as to how they will handle being the main act. In his recent interview with RESOUND, drummer Jagun expressed excitement whilst acknowledging the need to step up. As they wind their way through the sold out room to take to the stage, the first observation is that only three quarters of the band are present – Jagun, plus singer/guitarist Etienne and bassist Vanessa. In place of guitarist Michael, the blonde hair of Karin from Junodef takes up position stage right.
Although subsequently admitting to only three rehearsals together, it would be hard to know as the opening salvo of “Cheer” and “Chosen Light” from debut album “Night-Bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day” settle any nerves that may have been present, with not even a couple of technical hitches offering any impediment. Lead single “Heat of the Summer” transports the room away from a wintery West Midlands before a couple more early cuts complete the first half of the set. For as with their second album, the band choose to delineate the set between the old and the new, front loading the set with mainly older songs before unleashing the new songs, predominantly the darker focused ones from Side B of the record. The wisdom of this can be seen as the crowd gets lost in the music, the expansive layers of guitar woven by Etienne and Karin being propelled forward by the drumming of Jagun (cost – one broken kick pedal mid-set) and deft bass of Vanessa, whilst highlighting the progression the band has made with both sound and in their writing.
All too soon, “Golden Daze”, the Ride-esque album closer is on us being delivered with aplomb, closely followed by a un-intentionally ironic “Now Here’s The Weather” to ring in the ears as punters set out into the snowy sleet which has by now started falling on the frozen streets of Birmingham.
For Whitelands then, reader, you’d be a fool not to be catching them at a small venue whilst you can as on this performance the bigger stages they trod on that Slowdive tour will be calling them in their own right. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
The tour continues around the UK for the rest of February 2026 with further dates over the summer. Both albums are available from the usual sources on the Sonic Cathedral record label.
Words and pictures: Geoff Shaw @gsmusicphotos