Whispertown (formerly known as Whispertown 2000 or the Whispertown 2000) is an American indie music project from Los Angeles, California, fronted by singer-songwriter Morgan Nagler. They have toured or performed with Bright Eyes,

Rilo Kiley Rilo Kiley ( ) is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1998, the band consists of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel. The group released their debut album '' Take-Offs and Landing ...

Jenny Lewis Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child ...

the Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ( ...

She & Him She & Him is an American musical duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, ukulele) and M. Ward (guitar, production). It was formed in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.Scaggs, Austin"Smoking Section: Modest Mouse, Zooey Deschanel, Kings of Leo ...

, Maria Taylor, M. Ward, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's and

the Elected The Elected are a Los Angeles–based indie rock band. The Elected have released two albums with Sub Pop: '' Me First'' in 2004, and '' Sun, Sun, Sun'' in 2006. A third album, '' Bury Me In My Rings'', was released on 17 May 2011. Members * B ...

History

A native of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

who grew up in Los Angeles, Nagler worked as a child actor, appearing on the TV series ''

Punky Brewster ''Punky Brewster'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom television series about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes) in Chicago. The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986, and ag ...

'' and ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

'', as well as in the film ''

American Pie 2 ''American Pie 2'' is a 2001 American sex comedy film directed by James B. Rogers and written by Adam Herz and David H. Steinberg from a story by Herz. A sequel to the 1999 comedy film '' American Pie'', it is the second film in the ''Ameri ...

'' (2001) as the band camp friend of Michelle Flaherty (played by

Alyson Hannigan Allison Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974), known professionally as Alyson Hannigan, is an American actress and television presenter. She began her film career with supporting roles in the comedy films '' Impure Thoughts'' (1986) and '' My Step ...

). Nagler met and befriended fellow former child actor

Blake Sennett Blake Sennett (born September 22, 1973) is an American musician and actor who serves as the lead guitarist for indie rock band Rilo Kiley, as well as the lead singer/guitarist for his alt-rock side project the Elected. Until 2017 he led Night Terr ...

in the mid-1990s. Soon after, Sennett and

formed the band

in 1998, and Nagler also began writing songs and singing. In 2004, Nagler performed her songs before a live audience (with help from friend Tod Adrian Wisenbaker) as the opening act for

, Sennett's side project from Rilo Kiley. Nagler credits Sennett and Lewis for giving her the support to record and perform her own songs. In 2005, Nagler and Wisenbaker named their group Whispertown 2000 and asked Vanesa Corbala and Colt Maloney to join. During the fall 2006 tour, Casey Wisenbaker (Tod's brother) also joined the band. Their debut album, ''Livin' in a Dream'', was released in 2006. It was produced by Sennett and

Jimmy Tamborello James Scott Tamborello, (born 1975) also known by his stage name Dntel , is an American electronic music artist and DJ. Aside from his main solo project, Tamborello is also known as a member of the groups The Postal Service, #Other projects, He ...

(of

Dntel James Scott Tamborello, (born 1975) also known by his stage name Dntel , is an American electronic music artist and DJ. Aside from his main solo project, Tamborello is also known as a member of the groups The Postal Service, Headset, Strictl ...

and

the Postal Service The Postal Service was an American indie pop group from Seattle, Seattle, Washington, consisting of singer Ben Gibbard, producer Dntel, Jimmy Tamborello (also known by his stage name, Dntel), and Jenny Lewis on background vocals. The band relea ...

). Additional performers included Sennett, Jenny Lewis and

Johnathan Rice Johnathan Rice (born May 27, 1983) is a Scottish-American singer-songwriter. He used to frequently collaborate with Jenny Lewis. His first album, ''Trouble is Real'', was released on Reprise Records on April 26, 2005. His follow-up, ''Furthe ...

. Maloney parted ways with the band in 2007. Nagler co-wrote Rilo Kiley's "Dreamworld", from their fourth and final full-length album, ''

Under the Blacklight ''Under the Blacklight'' is the fourth and final studio album released by American alternative rock band Rilo Kiley. It was released on August 20, 2007, in the United Kingdom - three years and three days after the release of their third album ...

'' (2007). "Dreamworld" was included in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine's list of "16 Best

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

Songs (Not by Fleetwood Mac)" and was also listed in the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 2007. On October 21, 2008, the band released their second full-length album, ''Swim'', on

Acony Records Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, count ...

. Along with this new release, the official name of the band changed to the Whispertown 2000 (with definite article "the" included). Additional performers included Lewis,

Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, coun ...

and

David Rawlings David Todd Rawlings (born December 30, 1969) is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his musical partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Or ...

. Nagler co-wrote "Sweet Tooth" from Rawlings' 2009 album ''A Friend of a Friend.'' On March 20, 2012, Nagler released the EP ''Parallel'' under the name Whispertown. ''Parallel'' was her second release on Acony. The EP was recorded and mixed by

Andy LeMaster Andy LeMaster is an American musician, songwriter, engineer, and producer from Athens, Georgia. Now It's Overhead is the primary project for his own songwriting, while he also releases music under his own name and contributes as a co-writer on v ...

(of Bright Eyes), co-produced by Jake Bellows (of Neva Dinova) and executive produced by Rawlings.

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

premiered the video for the title track on July 3, 2013, calling it "luscious and expansive". ''

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...

'' gave ''Parallel'' a 7.1 out of 10, calling it "resoundingly solid ... keeping a balance between two divergent aesthetics (singer-songwriter fare and classic country heft)." In August, Nagler was featured in ''Rolling Stones profile on

Laurel Canyon Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. The main thoroughfare of Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the neig ...

's revival at the home of Jonathan Wilson, and how "the former L.A. home base of

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

and

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 30 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he had his ...

is now a hub to a new wave of hippie rockers." In 2013, Nagler starred in the movie ''Pleased to Meet Me,'' featuring

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often d ...

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law ...

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

and

Joe Henry Joseph Lee Henry (born December 2, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He has released 15 studio albums and produced multiple recordings for other artists, including three Grammy Award-winning albums. Early life H ...

. That same year,

Haim Haim can be a first name or surname originating in Hebrew or derived from the Old German name Haimo. Etymology Hebrew Chayyim ( ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Haim, Hayim, Chayim'', or ''Chaim'' (English pronunciat ...

released the song "

Falling Falling or fallin' may refer to: *Falling (physics), movement due to gravity *Falling (accident) * Falling (execution) *Falling (sensation) People * Christine Falling (born 1963), American serial killer who murdered six children Books * ''Fal ...

", co-written by Nagler. It was the third single from their debut studio album, '' Days Are Gone'', and peaked at No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2014,

Kim Deal Kimberley Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American musician. She was the original bassist and co-vocalist in the alternative rock band the Pixies (band), Pixies from 1986 to 1993 and again from 2004 to 2013. She is the frontwoman of the Bre ...

and Nagler released a 7-inch single, "The Root"/"Range on Castle". ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' premiered the video for "The Root" on March 21, 2014. The lyric video for "Range on Castle" was premiered by

Bob Boilen Bob B Boilen (born April 10, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York City) is an American musician and media personality. He was the host and creator of NPR's online music show ''All Songs Considered'' and the co-creator of NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, a series ...

NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...

on July 10, 2014. Whispertown released ''I'm a Man'' on September 1, 2017, on

Graveface Records Graveface Records is an American independent record label from Savannah, Georgia, solely owned and operated by Ryan Graveface (who plays in the groups Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dreamend, the Marshmallow Ghosts and the Casket Girls). He has relea ...

. The title track premiered on '' Impose'' on July 17, 2017, and was

KCRW KCRW (89.9 FM broadcasting, FM) is an NPR member station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, where the station is licensed. KCRW airs original news and music programming in addition to programming ...

's "Top Tune" on August 17, 2017. In October, Whispertown opened for M. Ward on a string of west coast dates. Nagler appeared in the video for the title track from

Kevin Morby Kevin Robert Morby (born 2 April 1988) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. A former member of Woods (band), Woods and The Babies, Morby has released seven solo studio albums: ''Harlem River (album), Harlem River'' (2013), ''Still Li ...

's 2017 album, '' City Music''.

Members

*Morgan Nagler – lead vocals, guitar, songwriter * Jake Bellows – guitar, vocals

Former members

*Vanesa Corbala – vocals, drums, percussion *Colt Maloney – bass *Casey Wisenbaker – bass, guitar, drums *Tod Adrian Wisenbaker – guitar, drums

Discography

*Whispertown 2000 – ''Livin' in a Dream'' (2006, n/a) *The Whispertown 2000 – ''Swim'' (2008,

) *Whispertown – ''Parallel'' (2012, Acony Records) *Whispertown – ''I'm a Man'' (2017,

)

Co-writes and other appearances

& Whispertown 2000 – "Paradise"/"Hometown" 7-inch (2006,

Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, and Portland, Maine. The label was founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several recording artists. Team Love also released the documen ...

) *

– ''

''; "Dreamworld" (2007,

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

) * David Rawlings Machine – ''A Friend of a Friend''; "Sweet Tooth" (2009,

) *

– "

" (2013,

Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

) *

& Morgan Nagler – "The Root"/"Range on Castle" 7-inch (2014, n/a) *''Good People Rock: A Yellow Bird Project Covers Compilation'' – "Give a Little Love" (

cover) (2015, Yellow Bird Project/Madic Records) * Maria Taylor – '' In the Next Life''; "If Only" (2016, Flower Moon Records)

References

External links

Whispertown's Official Website
* {{Authority control Indie rock musical groups from California Musical groups from Los Angeles