Whitelands release Glance ahead of upcoming album Sunlight Echoes

London-based band Whitelands have shared Glance, the lead single from their upcoming second album Sunlight Echoes, due Friday 30 January 2026 via Sonic Cathedral.

The shimmering track, described as a meditation on fleeting connection and unrequited love, draws inspiration from Wong Kar-wai and C.S. Lewis. It captures a poetic “what-might-have-been” moment at a party, wrapped in Whitelands’ signature emotional soundscape. Glance is also the first major showcase of Etienne Quartey-Papafio’s evolved vocal style, shaped by artists such as Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.

The band’s new full-length, Sunlight Echoes, is set to mark a departure from their 2024 debut Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day. With production by Ian Flynn and mixing from Grammy winner Eduardo De La Paz (New Order, The Horrors), the record promises a blend of Whitelands’ shoegaze palette with Britpop flourishes, string arrangements by Iskra Strings, and guest vocals from Emma Anderson.

“We’re coming back with a lot more maturity and realness,” said Etienne Quartey-Papafio. “It shows how much more emotional our music has become.”

“Chappell Roan, Rachel Chinouriri, Sabrina Carpenter… they’ve shaped how I sing now,” he says. “I don’t want to get left behind! People on Reddit have been complaining about the state of shoegaze singers, but I think that’s where Whitelands shines. I wanted to see if there was more I could do.”

Bassist Vanessa Govinden added: “It’s been really cool to watch Etienne push through boundaries and develop a new level of confidence with his vocals. I like the direction we’ve taken on this album. We’re taking a risk. It’s half and half.”

Other standout tracks include Heat Of The Summer, Songbird (Forever) and the emotionally-charged I Am No God, An Effigy. Later tracks address heavy themes from global injustice to personal growth, with Golden Daze closing the album on a hopeful note.

The album’s artwork, screen-printed by artist Léa Marais, reflects the lyrical tone. “The waves are coming together and they become one,” said Govinden. “There’s rhythm in waves and this album is a mirror of our inner tides.”