Whitehorse - Panther In The Dollhouse

SEX, LOVE AND THE LIVES OF CONSENTING ADULTS:
WHITEHORSE DELVE INTO BODY POLITICS ON
PANTHER IN THE DOLLHOUSE, OUT 4^th AUGUST VIA SIX SHOOTER RECORDS
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"Whitehorse are ready to gloriously bust some balls again"
- Noisey

"Rhythm-heavy and shivery."
- Chicago Tribune

"Superduo whose music swirls together the swampy swagger of the Bible Belt, the minor-akey melancholy of film noir soundtracks and the raw stomp of rock & roll."
- Rolling Stone
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As genre chameleons, Whitehorse's brazen sonic breadth encompasses a driving Americana image with psychedelic surf, arid border rock, lo-fi ingenuity and icy 80's sparseness. Panther In The Dollhouse brings another twist to Whitehorse’s studio approach with the addition of NYC hip-hop production duo Like Minds (Kanye West, Snoop Dogg), as well as the return of Gus Van Go and Werner F as producers/engineers.

Retro psychedelic pop bubbles up on “Nighthawks,” a new single out now from Panther In The Dollhouse that questions the constructs of perpetrator and victim on the streets. “Nighthawks” is a companion piece to the slow-burner “Evangelina,” (from the album Leave No Bridge Unburned), in which the namesake character is a sex worker superhero, in celebration of those who challenged Canada’s prostitution laws at the Supreme Court of Canada in 2013.

“Nighthawks” (recently performed live in a 5-star Minneapolis diner of the same name) is one example of Panther In The Dollhouse’s deep dive into body politics. Throughout the album, Whitehorse explore issues of consent, self-determination and, ultimately, freedom, largely from the perspective of women. 

Whitehorse have also unveiled the video to “Die Alone,” from Massey Hall’s new Ghost Light Sessions, was shot on the theatre's grand and storied stage and shows Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland’s exquisite harmonies and tones. From The Road To Massey Hall, an EP celebrating artists whose careers are intertwined with the venue’s history, to this striking stripped-down performance, Whitehorse’s reverence for this stage has become part of their story as well.

“Die Alone” is found on the forthcoming Panther In The Dollhouse, an album that examines the conventions and assumptions of domestic life. “Die Alone” is a devastating grindhouse ballad about the havoc wreaked by and for love. Endurance and exhaustion are two sides of the coin Whitehorse flips: “You got down on one knee and pulled the rug from my feet,” sings McClelland.

Alongside “Boys Like You”, “Die Alone”, and the peroxide burn of “Trophy Wife,” Panther In The Dollhouse paints a conflicted picture of domesticity and adulthood. Seedy, slinky and suggestive, the characters that populate Panther In The Dollhouse do what they can, what they must and – often – what they really shouldn’t (but can’t resist).

In their six years, Whitehorse has been known as a folk duo, a neo-noir Americana outfit, and as live looping mad scientists. Now, Whitehorse lets loose with a brand new full band, on glorious display in Part 1 of their CBC's First Play Live session. See "Nighthawks," "Evangelina" (never before performed live) and other songs here.

Whitehorse recently have been announced to perform as part of the upcoming  Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame induction of Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, and others. Further details of Whitehorse’s role in this ceremony will be released soon