The Whitlams

Biography

The Whitlams formed in late 1992 in Newtown, Australia. The original line up of Tim Freedman on piano, Stevie Plunder on guitar and Andy Lewis on double bass played mainly around Sydney’s inner west, a jaunty acoustic act in the midst of the grunge movement. In 1999 Freedman recruited noted Sydney musicians Terepai Richmond (D.I.G.), Jak Housden (The Badloves) and Warwick Hornby (The Lab) to join him in the band.

Over the course of The Whitlams’ storied history, they have released five platinum or gold-selling albums in a row (including the beloved “Eternal Nightcap” LP, which was voted in at #17 on triple j listeners’ Favourite Australian Albums of All Time poll in 2011). Since the release of the band’s last studio album, the gold-certified “Little Cloud” in 2006, The Whitlams have collaborated with various state symphony orchestras (including ten sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall with the Sydney Symphony), performed numerous annual sold out laps of the country and released a ‘best of’ compilation.

The Whitlams are known for their hugely successful ballads, but they also have a high-energy side which has made them one of Australia’s most successful live touring acts. They released latest album, 'Sancho' in January 2022 bringing new creative energy to their usual, rambunctious live shows.

The Whitlams classic “Eternal Nightcap” turns 25 this September, and the band will mark the anniversary by playing the album in its entirety plus a greatest hits set in a series of one-off concerts around the country. Tickets at https://thewhitlams.com/tour

"... (Freedman's) songs splash colours across a portrait of a lonesome, inner-city suburbia that few others can match for original detail and authenticity. Underlined by Freedman’s distinctively wistful, unadorned vocal delivery, The Whitlams have never sounded even mildly like anybody else... it’s this otherness, this eloquent gentility amidst the loud and more boisterous, that has always been irresistible and endearing." Michael Byrne, Newcastle Herald, 2022