The Whistles & The Bells

Last updated

The Whistles & The Bells
Origin Nashville, Tennessee
Genres Alternative rock
Years active2008—present
Labels New West Records
Website thewhistlesandthebells.com

The Whistles & The Bells is an American experimental alt-rock band based in Nashville, Tennessee, that serves as a moniker for singer-songwriter and producer Bryan Simpson. The band has released two full-length studio albums: The Whistles & The Bells in 2015, [1] and Modern Plagues in 2017. [2] Their music makes use of elements from rock, pop, folk, and electronic genres. [3]

Contents

Formation

Singer-songwriter Bryan Simpson began the Whistles & the Bells as a solo musical venture, which he says was inspired by a spiritual awakening in 2008. [4] He described the project as an "autobiographical snapshot" of his personal struggle in seeking understanding of a divine creator, or his personal truth about such a being. [5] [ better source needed ]

For the band's original lineup, Simpson brought in Matt Menefee and Ross Holmes, members of his previous project, progressive bluegrass band Cadillac Sky, with which he had released three albums.[ citation needed ]

The Whistles & The Bells

Simpson self-released the band's eponymous debut album in 2014. [6] On August 7, 2015, the album was reissued globally by New West Records. [7] It was recorded at Sputnik Sound by Grammy Award-winning engineer Vance Powell, and Eddie Spear. All songs were written by Simpson except "Ghost Town" and "Ghetto Gold" (Simpson and Thad Cokrell), and "Last Night God Sang Me a Song" (Ben Kyle and Simpson).

Personnel

The Stars in My Sky Choir:


Modern Plagues

The band's second album, Modern Plagues, was released on April 28, 2017, by New West Records. The album features collaborations with The Raconteurs' Brendan Benson and Matt Menefee. Eddie Spear engineered and co-produced the album with Simpson. Simpson described his intention as trying to create the sound of a "cosmic dinner party". [3]

Personnel


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References

  1. "The Whistles & The Bells, by The Whistles and The Bells". The Whistles and The Bells. Archived from the original on November 26, 2016.
  2. "Modern Plagues, by The Whistles and The Bells". The Whistles and The Bells. Archived from the original on May 6, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "The Whistles and the Bells". Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  4. "From Cadillac Sky to the Whistles & the Bells, Bryan Simpson Is Back in Full Force". Music Times. March 12, 2014. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  5. "The Whistles & The Bells – New West Records". newwestrecords.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018.
  6. James, Monger. "Apple Music Preview". Apple. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  7. "The Whistles and the Bells". New West Records. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018.
  8. "Modern Plagues by The Whistles and The Bells". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.