After a decade-long hiatus from the public eye, Modesto shoegaze band Whirr is making a significant comeback, marked by a newfound commitment to social responsibility and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The band’s disappearance followed a scandal in which someone with access to their Twitter account unleashed a series of transphobic insults directed at Olympia hardcore band G.L.O.S.S., a group that includes trans members. Whirr, already known for their aggressive online persona, found themselves blacklisted from the punk and indie music scenes. Label partners Run for Cover and Graveface severed all ties with the band in light of the incident, effectively erasing their presence from the music world.
In 2024, Whirr’s guitarist and main spokesperson, Nick Bassett, gave an interview to Eli Enis for Chasing Sundays, where he attempted to address the controversy. He maintained that a friend posted the offensive messages and insisted he never endorsed them, asserting that the ultimate responsibility lay with him. “I knew there was a line I would never cross,” Bassett reflected. “But maybe I would’ve said something else that would’ve been offensive. That shit would’ve probably happened either way in some regard. I was on that warpath, we were gonna hit that level.” This candid admission demonstrated Bassett’s remorse for any role the band played in exacerbating transphobia within the music community.
Interestingly, over the past decade, Whirr’s influence has surged within the resurging shoegaze genre. Many newer artists cite Whirr as a foundational band, often unaware of the issues that led to their initial downfall. In 2019, the band re-emerged with the release of their album Feels Like You, which they distributed through their own label, Free Whirl, without any marketing or press campaigns.
Their latest project, Raw Blue, which dropped last Christmas, features a dense, layered sound reminiscent of 90s shoegaze, laced with elements of aggression. The album is a testament to Whirr’s evolution and resilience, showcasing a blend of serene vocals and intense climaxes.
In a show of further commitment to their new path, Whirr returned to the stage in April and May 2024 for the Slide Away festival—an event curated by Nothing bandleader Dominic Palermo, a supporter of Bassett. Whirr headlined shows in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles during the festival, which aims to cultivate community among shoegaze fans.
Palermo highlighted the band’s efforts to support LGBTQ+ causes, noting that last year, Whirr and Nothing donated proceeds from their reissued 2014 split EP to the Trevor Project. With vinyl copies of Feels Like You fetching hundreds of dollars on platforms like Discogs, their contributions have likely provided substantial support for the organization.
Moreover, a portion of the ticket sales from an upcoming sold-out show at Metro, set for July 22, will benefit Center on Halsted, further demonstrating Whirr’s commitment to rehabilitation and societal support.
With Nothing and Sleepwalk as opening acts, this performance symbolizes not just a musical return, but also an assertion of values—one that seeks to mend the wounds of the past through action and advocacy.
image source from：chicagoreader
