photo by Bebe Labree Besch (view set)
New York based Freelance Whales may have gotten their start playing on subway platforms in 2008, but now they are one of the most critically acclaimed indie rock bands in years. Judah Dadone, Doris Cellar, and company stopped by the KEXP studio in October to play some tracks off of their Diluvia album. According to lead singer Judah, it was Astronomer Carl Sagan’s TV series Cosmos that inspired the theme of the album. Freelance Whales wanted to express that, in the grand scheme of things, “We are extremely small and we may be, like, nothing at all really.” One of the best parts about the performance is the beautiful way Judah and Doris’ vocals harmonize so well together. His voice has been compared to Ben Gibbard’s of The Postal Service, and it’s easy to see why (especially on the track “Aeolus”). Judah has a soft falsetto that never attempts to overshadow the complex instrumentals. Throughout the set, you’ll see how comfortable and close the band has become from touring and basically living together for the last few years.
Full Performance:
One Comment
I can see how Judah’s voice is comparable to that of Ben from Postal Service, but the musical genius and originality of Freelance as a band way overshadows anything Postal Service has done, or even Death Cab in my opinion. I really enjoyed this performance!