In The Whale

I f you've got your ear to the ground in Denver, you've probably heard In The Whale. In the figurative sense, that's because the buzz for the rock duo has grown steadily louder since the release of their EP, Cake, early this year.

In the literal sense, it's because their sound is so loud it could literally make the ground rumble. Comparisons to the White Stripes, Queens of the Stone Age or The Eagles of Death Metal are frequent and accurate, but you need to hear the stomping, snarling power of a song like "Woman" for yourself.

We talked with the guys -- Eric Riley and Nate Valdez -- about the EP, bathroom graffiti and what's next for In The Whale.

You moved from Greeley to Denver a year and half ago. How's the city treating you?

Eric Riley: It's been really great. Last summer, we spent it making our name known and playing as any shows as possible. We got into the Hometown for the Holidays thing and that helped us out with credibility. We got to play the Westword Music Showcase. So we'll hopefully keep moving in the right direction.

Tell me about making your EP. I think a good way to describe it is that it has a lot of balls.

ER: We had a few other records that we've recorded and produced, but nothing that really represented our new sound when we decided to establish ourselves in Denver. So recording that, we chose the most ballsy four songs we could ... put that out and released it, kind of as a "Here we are. This is what we're doing and if you don't like it, shove off."

I doesn't seem like you're finding many people who don't like it.

Nate Valdez: We're pleased with the response we've gotten, for sure.

ER: There was one lady at a show -- I can't remember where now, it was probably Greeley -- and she was like, "I don't think your music's very good.' She was a little drunk and that's all she had to say.

Do you still write "In The Whale sucks" on bathroom walls?

NV: Yup. Still doing that. I'm documenting places that I've gone to the bathroom and where I ate and took a shit. There's one at Road 34 in Fort Collins -- at the top, underneath the white bowl. Maybe it'll be a treasure map someday for people. A really shitty treasure map.

Have you been working on another album?

ER: We just got done tracking a new single called "Girlfriend." We should be mixing it pretty soon and it should be out by November.

Are you trying to find a record label or are you content doing it yourselves?

NV: Whatever can happen to allow us to do it fulltime but not fuck us over ... then whatever, we're open to it. - Colorado Daily

Jesus fucking Christ panstless on a unicycle headbanging like Andrew WK this fucking band is fucking HELL YES.

Just when I thought every band that I come across would be slathered in prissy shiny synthy sequencey dubstep nerd glasses without lenses and shoes made out of vegan imitation leather, In The Whale comes over to my house and drops upperdeckers in every fucking toilet. It's the angsty-riffage-plus-gospel-keys of a Wolfmother catching their ADHD stricken son Queens of the Stone Age masturbating with the rock-falsetto-hand-lotion of The Darkness, In The Whale are the pill I've been waiting months to fucking swallow.

YES CODE!

In The Whale are two muthafuckers from Denver making a fucking shitload of fucking noise and they're doing so while sharpening random axes and butter knives and offending nursing mothers by tit-slapping their way into a category of rock I haven't found the fucking adjectives to piece together just yet. These two shitbirds fucking throw down on blues infused whiskey shooterz with house party jungle juice chasers, and if the resulting head nodding doesn't make you a fan, the dreams you'll experience where you're breaking windows and tit-slapping nursing mothers will.

Colon thumping chron's disease healing rhythms and I'd rather stab a nursing mother in the tit murky bottom heavy motherfucking guitar, In The Whale sound like the band that just shows up unannounced and completely fucking stains the blinds, leaves tire tracks in the foyer and the aforementioned upperdeckers in every loo.

I haven't wanted to have a topless pillow fight like this in fucking YEARS. This Cake EP is fucking bananas in fucking pornstars in place of strap-ons for fucking DAYS bro.

As god and Tim Baker as my witness, In The Whale are one of my new favorite bands.

God fucking damnit I want to feel like this all the fucking TIME. - Shut Your Fucking Face And Listen

Jesus fucking Christ panstless on a unicycle headbanging like Andrew WK this fucking band is fucking HELL YES.

Just when I thought every band that I come across would be slathered in prissy shiny synthy sequencey dubstep nerd glasses without lenses and shoes made out of vegan imitation leather, In The Whale comes over to my house and drops upperdeckers in every fucking toilet. It's the angsty-riffage-plus-gospel-keys of a Wolfmother catching their ADHD stricken son Queens of the Stone Age masturbating with the rock-falsetto-hand-lotion of The Darkness, In The Whale are the pill I've been waiting months to fucking swallow.

YES CODE!

In The Whale are two muthafuckers from Denver making a fucking shitload of fucking noise and they're doing so while sharpening random axes and butter knives and offending nursing mothers by tit-slapping their way into a category of rock I haven't found the fucking adjectives to piece together just yet. These two shitbirds fucking throw down on blues infused whiskey shooterz with house party jungle juice chasers, and if the resulting head nodding doesn't make you a fan, the dreams you'll experience where you're breaking windows and tit-slapping nursing mothers will.

Colon thumping chron's disease healing rhythms and I'd rather stab a nursing mother in the tit murky bottom heavy motherfucking guitar, In The Whale sound like the band that just shows up unannounced and completely fucking stains the blinds, leaves tire tracks in the foyer and the aforementioned upperdeckers in every loo.

I haven't wanted to have a topless pillow fight like this in fucking YEARS. This Cake EP is fucking bananas in fucking pornstars in place of strap-ons for fucking DAYS bro.

As god and Tim Baker as my witness, In The Whale are one of my new favorite bands.

God fucking damnit I want to feel like this all the fucking TIME. - Shut Your Fucking Face And Listen

There's a lot of Eagles of Death Metal influence happening here. In the first two songs alone — one called "Woman" and the other "34-28-32," detailing her ideal measurements — In the Whale's Eric Riley and Nate Valdez take on the brazen, balls-out machismo of bands like Queens of the Stone Age with the nerdy ambition of a pre-bloated Weezer. Propelled by a wall of guitar and sandwiched between Darkness-level falsetto and raucous stadium drums, the lyrics are part caveman, part country boy and overtly rock star. In the end, the guys split the difference, like a Wolfmother you can still take seriously. They might be only a step or two from the garage, but these are two bespectacled escapists who rock out with their cocks (and maybe their calculators) out. - Westword

In the Whale started out in Greeley as a side project of What About Pluto? and Trailer 77, but guitarist Nate Valdez and drummer Eric Riley wanted to do something more raw as an outlet for sublimated frustration and angst. A former counselor of juvenile delinquents, Valdez undoubtedly had plenty of fuel for that fire, as did Riley, who'd discovered that the life of a music major offered more rote learning than inspiration.

Rather than stay in Greeley, the two moved to Denver and pursued In the Whale in earnest, and have since made an impression on audiences with the raucous delivery of their fuzzy, blues-tinged, lo-fi power pop. We sat down recently with Valdez and Riley and talked about their new album's title and how the seedier side of society inspires their songwriting.

Westword: Your album is called Cake. Why that name?

Nate Valdez: The idea, in a way, is subtly sexual — but not blatantly. All the songs are about girls. It's very ambiguous, to the point at which it would confuse my mom. Every album title is based off of how much I can confuse my mom. When I brought her the album, she's like, "Why did you name it Cake? What's that about?" I said, "Mom, there's nothing to get." It's a self-satisfying thing to me, whenever I can confuse my mom.

Eric Riley: I feel like all the songs are a very masculine, chasing-a-woman kind of thing. Woman as drug is a big theme on the four songs. Kind of like the idea of cake being too sweet; too much of it is bad for you.

What about the sleazier side of life appeals to you?

ER: Again, a lot of our music is pretty masculine and testosterone-driven. It's all about pursuing a woman, trying to get into a chick's pants. I feel like everyone has that side to them. We're both stand-up guys, and we would never sexually assault anyone or anything like that; we don't look at porn five hours a day. But I think everyone has that little bit of devil in them. It's something you have to battle, and a lot of people don't necessarily explore that in their subject matter.

NV: That, and the small-town aspect, coming from a town that's conservative and very morals-based. For me, especially, when I came to a bigger city, it was, "We have sex, we have drugs, we have all this shit. Where was all this stuff when I was growing up?" I used to be worried about if I had to irrigate today or if the cows got fed. Then the world changes. Eric and I were raised in a very conservative, religious background, so a lot of our stuff is sarcastic, and we question God and everything we grew up with.
- Westword

It’s a very good assumption that if you come to Indie Bitches, you’re wanting to hear about Denver local bands, releases, shows, and events in general. By making that assumption, I’m guessing that most of you have heard of bands such as The Doors, The Black Keys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The White Stripes, right? Now another big question here is: what do these bands all have in common? Obviously they’re all incredibly talented and well-known musicians, but did you happen to notice that they’re successful without bass players? In The Whale is one of our local bands who was willing to take this risk. Their 2 part band releases an EP, “Cake”, at The Hi-Dive on January 28th, something all of you should be attending.

I remember the very day I first got my experience in the whale, it was with My Body Sings Electric, we were yall extremely hung over from the previous night of day three of the Underground Music Festival, and of course began drinking at eight that morning to try to and recover. I remember there were only a few people there that morning(anything before noon is early in music world), I was sitting in the front, feeling like hell and holding my beer like a cross. When Nate(guitar, vocals) and Eric(drums, backup vocals) came out I was expecting something along the lines of John Mayer, but instead got what I like to think of as if Ben Folds and Joan Jett having a lovechild with the heavy guitar sound of Jimmy Page. I will never forget looking back at Monika and saying “These guys are gonna be huge. They’re so damn beyond good!” As I danced in my seat uncontrollably. In The Whale was jaw-dropping. “Woman” was the first song I ever heard, one that will never get old no matter how many times I listen to it.

“Guys will do absolutely anything for a girl. It’s about how pretty girls, in our society, can get whatever they want.” Told Nate. The band originally started out as an acoustic project, when Nate met Eric the project turned 180 degrees and they were set in stone. “Eric and I just got along so well that we never wanted to add anyone else. We didn’t want to fuck it up.” Nate said after I asked him the reasoning for not involving a bass player. Influences such as The White Stripes, Silverstein, Third Eye Blind and Local H made the band evolve into something that’s ready to break out of its cage and bite the world. Who would’ve thought that something composed of only two men could create a rumble loud enough for the deaf to hear? In The Whale is a duo that’s definitely moving up fast, two men that are so in-sync with one another that it’s hard to keep your eyes or ears off of them when they take the stage. Don’t miss their house show on Dec. 16th, and the release of their first EP of the year, “Cake” at The Hi-Dive on January 28th, I know I won’t - Indie Bitches

As we enter the second month of winter, we hunker down into what is probably the year’s prime music-making and music-listening season. In the summer time, it’s hard to get Coloradans to come inside from their mountain biking, 14er climbing, river rafting and hut tripping, but in January — with the days just beginning to get longer and the weather getting colder — we seek the shelter of bars, clubs, basements, galleries, churches and coffee shops to warm our hearts and nourish our souls with warm beverages and live music. It doesn’t get much warmer than Denver power duo In the Whale, who will release its debut EP, “Cake,” with a show at the Hi-Dive on Saturday. Read on to steal a bite before anyone else.

In the Whale arose from the ashes of two Colorado bands — Greeley’s What About Pluto? and Trailer 77 from Las Animas. When Eric Riley of the former and Nate Valdez of the latter found each other in Greeley in 2009, they knew they wanted to create something different from what either had done before. The pair soon landed on a gritty, energetic and stripped-down take on blues rock that frequently draws comparisons to other loud, raucous duos like the White Stripes and the Black Keys, but with the lecherous spirit of vintage ZZ Top.

Though In the Whale only relocated to Denver about a year ago to hone its sound and develop its fan base, the songs on “Cake” sound like the work of confident veterans. The melodies bore through your earholes and deep into your brain, while the driving grooves throttle you with erotic abandon. Riley and Valdez write songs that revel in the seedy and unseemly, and perform them with the leering swagger and powerful musk of a tracksuit-wearing drunk. Tickle Me Pink‘s Joey Barba adds production punch to three of the EP’s four tracks (and adds guitar and backing vocals), while Churchill‘s Joe Richmond amps up the fourth. Additional noise and disruption are contributed by Churchill’s Tyler Rima (bass) and multitalented keyboardist Riley Boone (organ).

As disturbingly unholy and unnatural as is the grimy, groovy sound of In the Whale, nothing feels more natural than to leave “Cake” on repeat for hours on end. Get your first taste by stealing “Woman” right now. Then don’t miss your chance to get your hands on the full EP this Saturday night at the Hi-Dive. Tickets are a mere $7, and Denver Eldren will release its CD the very same night. - Denver Post Reverb

The bands that played at this year’s Battle all showed wonderful musical diversity, extraordinary talents and a willingness to play their hearts out for an audience. Two of the other bands that stuck out in terms of performance and overall individuality, however, were The Honey Gitters and In The Whale.
The Honey Gitters put together a well-rehearsed yet fun and spontaneous show, delighting the audience with novel tricks (TV antennae creating ambient noise, anyone?) and musical skills. They have a bluegrass ambience, complete with banjo, thumpin’ bass and song titles like “Groundhawg,” but with a little bit of a psychedelic jam band vibe thrown into the mix, their sound is beyond compare.
In the Whale, comprised of Nate Valdez on guitar and lead vocals and Eric Riley on drums (and kazoo), played a set that reminded all the old punk-rockers in the crowd exactly where that type of music has its roots: experimentation and expression. They had excellent dynamics and a wide variety of sounds that made them the most eclectic and varied act of the evening.
This year’s Battle of the Bands was strong, impassioned, and inspiring to all the musicians and music lovers in the audience. We hope to see all of the bands that played again next year, and congratulations to our winners!

Molly McCowan - Scene Magazine (Fort Collins, CO)

Jonah disobeyedand ended up inside a whale for three days and three nights…or so the story goes. Imagine instead that, upon sliding down the whale’s massive tongue and sloshing into its (presumably) fishy stomach, Nate Valdez and Eric Riley were there, providing the indie punk soundtrack to a time of trials and tribulations.
Crush highlights all of In the Whale’s strengths: great dynamics, songs that demand attention, strong writing and the ability to cover a wide range of sounds both within each song and as an entire album. They exemplify a punk rock mentality, but with an undercurrent of vulnerability that gives the album resonance.
The understated song “Summertime” displays this dual nature well, utilizing a simple melody and well-written lyrics chronicling memories of lost love, but never crossing the line into cliché. “Drinking on the Job” ranges from solitary, subtle guitar lines to a full-blown, drink-in-hand finale complete with a number of (possibly inebriated) voices joining in.
“Send Off” and “Wolves” possess the strongest overarching vibes of the punk rock mentality, with hefty guitar lines and energetic transitions. “Wolves” is my favorite track on the album, demonstrating an aggressive slide guitar and rollercoaster dynamics that give the song an infectious energy.
Crush is an EP that truly exemplifies the fact that this Fort Collins duo is actively creating, changing, and pushing themselves to craft a sound wholly their own, and they are succeeding. - Scene Magazine

Jonah disobeyedand ended up inside a whale for three days and three nights…or so the story goes. Imagine instead that, upon sliding down the whale’s massive tongue and sloshing into its (presumably) fishy stomach, Nate Valdez and Eric Riley were there, providing the indie punk soundtrack to a time of trials and tribulations.
Crush highlights all of In the Whale’s strengths: great dynamics, songs that demand attention, strong writing and the ability to cover a wide range of sounds both within each song and as an entire album. They exemplify a punk rock mentality, but with an undercurrent of vulnerability that gives the album resonance.
The understated song “Summertime” displays this dual nature well, utilizing a simple melody and well-written lyrics chronicling memories of lost love, but never crossing the line into cliché. “Drinking on the Job” ranges from solitary, subtle guitar lines to a full-blown, drink-in-hand finale complete with a number of (possibly inebriated) voices joining in.
“Send Off” and “Wolves” possess the strongest overarching vibes of the punk rock mentality, with hefty guitar lines and energetic transitions. “Wolves” is my favorite track on the album, demonstrating an aggressive slide guitar and rollercoaster dynamics that give the song an infectious energy.
Crush is an EP that truly exemplifies the fact that this Fort Collins duo is actively creating, changing, and pushing themselves to craft a sound wholly their own, and they are succeeding. - Scene Magazine

The newest release from the Fort Collins’-based duo In the Whale is the EP, Crush. While the four-song compilation gives an accurate description of the attempted versatility of the album, there is far too much to dissect. I would classify the sound as Independent Rock with each song having an underlying tone, from modern goofy Rock to Hard Rock/Metal. While I wonder whether this duo knows what their own intended sound is, I also question the motives behind which these songs were written, whether for soul searching, musical integrity, or simply to be able to play their own creations at parties. If I had to choose a single I would pick “Summertime.” I would play it during June, and dream of the boy I once pretended to have. The EP release was on the 18th of February, and recording for the next (an instrumental release) begins later this month. - Colorado Music Buzz

The newest release from the Fort Collins’-based duo In the Whale is the EP, Crush. While the four-song compilation gives an accurate description of the attempted versatility of the album, there is far too much to dissect. I would classify the sound as Independent Rock with each song having an underlying tone, from modern goofy Rock to Hard Rock/Metal. While I wonder whether this duo knows what their own intended sound is, I also question the motives behind which these songs were written, whether for soul searching, musical integrity, or simply to be able to play their own creations at parties. If I had to choose a single I would pick “Summertime.” I would play it during June, and dream of the boy I once pretended to have. The EP release was on the 18th of February, and recording for the next (an instrumental release) begins later this month. - Colorado Music Buzz

Music and lyrics written by Nate Valdez, Nate Valdez: main vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, toy piano, organ, piano, harmonica, mandolin, bass guitar … whew, Nate is not a one-man show, but he could be, and he gets some amazing talent to come play with him – Brittany Quintero: female vocals (“Lost the Nerve”); Greg Heimbecker: organ (“On Your Way”); Micah Craig: violin (“Letter Home”); Aaron Pomeroy: drums, vocals; Tom Myers: lap steel (“Penitent Man”) – and pulls together a little soundtrack for the soul.



The melancholy, dreamy chords of “Letter Home” seems a prequel to “On Your Way”; if melancholy could be both sad and upbeat it would be this tune. As Folk sounding as many of these songs are, it’s “Penitent Man” that is the darker, weird uncle of the CD. With heavier acoustic as well as electric, it's dirty compared to the rest. I would have liked Nate's voice to be a little dirtier, as well.



A toy piano opens “Lost the Nerve,” a Simon and Garfunkel-esque, lyrical, movie soundtrack tune. Very sweet, and so crystal clear are Brittany Quintero's vocals that I want to know when she's busting out with a CD.



MySpace.com/SongsInTheWhale

by Judy Wolf - Colorado Music Buzz

Main Stage
(9th ave and 16th St)
5:00 In the Whale
6:00 Trump Mother Jones
7:00 Alan Baird Project
8:00 What About Pluto
9:00 The Epilogues - UNC Connection

Are musicians natural-born sinners? Just like the bear takes its silent, secret dump with in the woods, the average guitarist is doing lines off a 16-year-olds ass during the after party.

Maybe that’s playing to the stereotype though. The only way we can know for sure is a musician is indulging in closed-door debauchery is through observant listening. As it is, In the Whale’s debut EP manages to tell us that singer-songwriter Nate Valdez is a bad man.

What sin he is guilty of is open to interpretation on the standout track “Penitent Man,” but make no mistake: Valdez has some serious atoning to do for something he’s done in real life. As he rides across the brimstone crackles of a lap steel guitar, there’s a revealing of a practically genuine, the same kind of magic made listeners 40 years ago believe a 15-year-old Michael Jackson was capable of actually loving a woman twice his age. One can’t help wondering what’s going on Valdez’s head as he sings; this song is that good

Then again, that quiet desperation is heard on many of the other tracks, just with a less unsettling effect and duller lyrics on each country spun tune. “Letter Home” shows off another hungry vocal approach, stumbling when “great” is rhymed with “sweet”. Meanwhile “Heaven Above” suffers from a cheesy guitar melody. And the romantic bent of several other songs suggest that the talented Valdez’s worst crime against humanity is that be broke a lover’s heart. –Erik Myers
- Scene