Local artist Whitney Ballen recently unveiled her hauntingly beautiful debut album, You’re a Shooting Star, I’m a Sinking Ship. The record has many highlights, including lead single “Go” and the title track but none gut quite as hard as our Song of the Day, “Rainier.” The song is a tormented ode to lost love, told in the little memories that stick around after they’re gone.
“Mount Rainier tends to show itself on the days we need it most here, at least for me it does,” says Ballen of the song, “It’s a casual reminder of the things that linger in an ever-changing world. Rainier was the view from an ex’s dining room window (before it was sold for condos), where the housemates would sit and drink crafted coffee most mornings. When things go away — friends, mothers, fathers, houses, partners — we find and hold onto memories through the most mundane things. Luckily, Rainier is still here.” Catch Whitney Ballen on Thursday, October 4 at the Woodland Theater in Ballard with Mini Blinds and Misties.
Finding good new music can be a full time job, so let KEXP help! In Our Headphones brings you five song recommendations every Monday, straight from KEXP’s DJs and Music Directors. Join hosts Janice Headley and Isabel Khalili on this never-ending journey of music discovery.
Host Emily Fox and KEXP’s editorial team talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.
