Shadow of Whales

“Very cool... Obviously 2014 is going to be a big year for [Shadow of Whales]”a big year for [Shadow of Whales] - Dave Froehlich, KTBC Fox 7 News

"With its youthful pop/rock aura, Shadow Of Whales delivers an ace with “Dream,” which beautifully fits the mold of Green Day and Fallout Boy... Commanding, youthful, nicely delivered... [Dream] is a professional song with sing-along hooks and a phenomenal live performance. " - Chuck Taylor, Former Billboard Editor

"I have been really impressed with a stateside band out of Austin, Texas, called Shadow Of Whales. They are just really thrilling me with their overall professional demeanor and of course that they really know how to ‘rock it out’! On that note, you can tell they are more than willing in bringing it to music appreciators rocking ear modules wherever they can oblige you all so kindly with and that really is rocking strong to FORKSTER in a band yet so young in youth but so strong with music passion, respect and gratitude!

Shadow Of Whales are a fantastic music presence and total feel and energy that I was really captivated by throughout and you can really hear it in their whole musicianship persona that the music is always the reason for it all and well, that really warms the FORKSTER’S rocking music soul. This band I feel have all the ability, heart/drive and total overall band chemistry and making in accomplishing successful music roads ahead. FORKSTER will never be surprised at what these rockers accomplish in knowing how bad they all want it. Shadow Of Whales are an absolute well-crafted music dynamo prospect, for sure!

Musician Breakdowns:
Vocals - The Vocals are superbly sung out with wonderful pop charm and loved the overall strengths and attitudes for them, quality!
Guitar - These roaring riffs were just rocking strong through and through and they were really striking out thunderous jolts of catchy rhythmic stomps and grooving hooks that were fierce and impressive in character and rocking attitude!
Drums - Wild and wailing stick actions that were mighty in beat and rocking strong in tempo and overall band backbone rhythm!
Bass - Low-end maestro was really laying down the boom grooves with tremendous talent, poise and overall rocking bounce. He had me grooving throughout, great movements here!
Keyboards – Absolutely loved their involvements throughout and really thought it added that extra shine element in bringing out the pop charms that they were definitely goaling for I reckon and well, I feel they certainly accomplished that music goal!
Glockespiel – Definitely a very underrated instrument and am thrilled everytime I here its involvement and on that note, it doesn’t disappoint here. The high pitch effect was perfect with gelling in completely and this rockers skill for it was a thrill in hearing, well done!
Background Vocals – These were really splendid vocal harmony contributions, really worked well I thought throughout their entire tunes!" - Timothy John Forker, Forksters Daily Band Review

One of our favorite bands that no one knows about yet is back. The guys from Austin, Texas band Shadow Of Whales have released a great music video for their single “Dreams”. The hard working band had a great idea and ran with it. They went around Austin interviewing people asking what their dreams were, and asking them to write it down on a whiteboard. Seems like a simple idea but it keeps you focused on the video to see what the next dream is. Enjoy the song and video here:
We truly believe that Shadow Of Whales will reach their goal, or as they say n the song :

“I know where I wanna be

I’ll Live like I know what I mean

Won’t let anybody tell me any different

Because I need to follow my dream”. - Keith Profetta, Indie Band Guru

"Not only is the single ‘Dream‘ of Texas based band Shadow Of Whales catchy as hell, that guitar riff get stuck in your head for days, but they also drop some powerful lyrical knowledge on us. And know what? I approve this message! So together with my brothers, I encourage you to follow and live your dream, ya hear?!
And sometimes a dream needs a little help of others. So check the IndieGoGo campaign of Shadow Of Whales to find out how you can help them and grab the dope perk stuffs while you at it!" - The Dutch Guy, DutchGuy.TV

"Five guys from the ages of 19-23 and have such big messages to deliver to the world. SOW’s band consists of front man Joshua Flores, with his brother Caleb on drums, Chris Fraga on lead guitar, Jeremy Boyum on bass guitar, and JD Vazquez on keys. Every one of them is a multi-instrumentalist which makes songwriting second nature to them.

They can pick up each other’s instruments and come up with ideas and which gives them the ability to build off of each other, so this makes them all have equal parts in the inspirational songwriting process." - Melody Beals, Poptastic Radio

I’m not even going to try to be coy about this: there is just something so captivating about Austin, Texas based Shadow of Whales. With a sound reminiscent of The Killers and Franz Ferdinand, Shadow of Whales have just released their brand new track “Forever” exclusively with Infectious Magazine. The track comes off their upcoming, self-titled full length (due to be released this August) and having had a peek at the album myself, I can say with full confidence that it’s chock full of incredible tracks like this one.

Read more: http://www.infectiousmagazine.com/exclusive-premiere-shadow-of-whales-forever/#ixzz39HuPX4tW - Angela Mastrogiacomo, Infectious Magazine

"Shadow of Whales new single “Forever” premiered yesterday over at Infectious Magazine and without giving too much away - it’s really good.

If this doesn’t get your foot tapping, your head bopping or your hips moving then I don’t know what will. Shadow of Whales have crafted a perfect indie-pop jam with their song “Forever.” Between the strong harmonies, the keyboards and the glockenspiel, their upcoming self-titled album, due out in August, has moved up onto my most anticipated list for this year." - Nothing Original

"Shadow Of Whales ist eine Alternative Indie-Pop-Band aus Texas mit einer spürbaren Leidenschaft für Musik. Sie wollen Hoffnung durch Freundschaften verbreiten und natürlich auch durch ihre Musik. Frontmann und Sänger ist Joshua Flores, sein Bruder Caleb am Schlagzeug, Chris Fraga an der Leadgitarre, Jeremy Boyum am Bass, und JD Vazquez am Keyboard und Glockenspiel. Alle Bandmitgleider haben zuvor erfolgreich in anderen Bands gespielt und bringen die gesammelten Erfahrungen mit in Shadow Of Whales.

Ihre Musik erinnert an eine Mischung aus The Killers, Switchfoot und The Beatles und sie wechselt von ruhigen Gitarrenklängen zu harten Riffs und von fünfstimmigen Harmonien zu Mitsing-Teilen. Es ist Musik zum Tanzen, einfach genießen und mitsingen oder summen.

In ihrem Musikvideo zu "Dream" steht die Band selbst nicht nur auf einer Wiese, sondern sie laufen durch die Stadt, haben Spaß und fragen Passanten, was ihr Traum ist. Diese Träume und Wünsche haben die Personen auf eine abwischbare, weiße Tafel geschrieben, welche sie im Video vor sich halten. Weitere Szenen sind Detailaufnahmen aus der Natur, der Band oder der Stadt.

Der Song hat einen hoffnungsvollen Text und einen eingängigen Refrain: "I know where I wanna be / I’ll live like I know what I mean / Won’t let anybody tell me any different / Because I need to follow my dream." Er ist inspirierend und zeigt, wie wichtig es ist eine standhafte Einstellung zum Leben zu haben, mit der man sein Leben lebensfroh und zukunftsorientiert leben kann.

Es gibt Momente im Leben da kommen wir vom Weg ab oder müssen die Richtung ändern, weil ein Traum zerplatzt ist. Doch mit Gottes Hilfe kommen wir schnell wieder auf die Füße und können den Traum weiter verfolgen oder den Weg zu einem neuen Traum starten. Das zu tun, was man am meisten liebt, kann einen sehr erfüllen, aber auch da sollten wir nicht vergessen, dass wir Jesus daran teilhaben lassen wenn wir glücklich sind. Denn er hilft uns nicht nur in schweren Zeiten, sondern er ist auch bei uns in den guten und auch in denen sollten wir mit Jesus unseren Weg beschreiten." - Burnin' Heart Report

The indie-pop quintet Shadow of Whales have been staying busy, releasing another single on July 15th and launching an IndieGoGo campaign for their first tour van. The Austin, TX natives have a self-titled album coming out in August, and their single “Forever” is a great peek at what is to come.

Staying true to their first few singles, the track is vibrant and budding with an infectious energy. The band marvelously blends guitar rhythms, glockenspiel melodies, and peppy synths to pump up their message of hope. No matter the relationship struggle, tell yourself “we won’t always be this way forever, it gets better. I tell ya, even in the worst we stay together.” - Angel Journey

"Shadow of Whales are made up of brothers Joshua and Caleb Flores, Chris Fraga, Jeremy Boyum and JD Vazquez. The five-piece alternative act from Texas have been working hard on their sound and are about to release their self-titled EP this August.

The EP opens with “Pretenders” which starts with a teasing introduction of snippet guitars and atmospheric effects. It builds into an upbeat track that sports good vocals with a Two Door Cinema Club vibe. The propelling drum beats lead into the pre-chorus which will have you singing along to “we are actors and actresses playing our parts”. The crafty riffs work well together and the melodic breakdown in the bridge was unexpected but well executed. With subtle elements of glockenspiel sounds and light keys it’s clear the band have a strong grasp on how to create good tunes.

“Fall Back” is more indie-rock from the first “oh oh oh’s” and sharp guitar note. With a memorable structure the track is built upon minimal elements that work in harmony with one another. The chorus ups the pace and transforms the track into a indie-rock gem that it complimented by piercing keys and luscious vocals. “Just A Little” is led by power-fuelled riffs and a pop-rock structure. It surprised me on my first listen as each song so far has been strikingly different, so it was difficult to get a sense of continuity. However, “Just A Little” is heavier sounding with hard-hitting riffs and thudding percussion. The handful of harmonies are playful and after a few listens this track became one of my favourites.

“Dream” showcases the five-part harmonies even more with an impressive beginning. The track unfolds around an old-school sound while “Forever” is one of the catchiest tracks on the EP. The raw vocals cover love, relationships and breakups, while the lyrics are layered upon an addictive acoustic melody that sees the gentle influence of the glockenspiel return. The track really excels in the chorus, where all of the elements work more strongly with one another, especially the electronic keys.

The EP ends with “Bury The Hatchet” which was another surprising track. Don’t be fooled by the heavy sounding name, the track begins with five-part harmonies that are on a whole other level. They’re infectious and guide the track with the help of some hand-claps. The band have used another simple, but effective structure that has certainly worked in their favour. The last 30 seconds or so of the track becomes bulkier and more dominant and ends the EP brilliantly.

Shadow of Whales have been the first band to surprise me in a really long time. None of their songs sound the same, yet they are all built upon the same elements. Well worded in their press release their music is something you can dance to, and then mosh to. For being a debut release, I couldn’t be more excited to see where this takes them." - Bekka Collins, Mistree Magazine

As soon as alternative indie pop band Shadow of Whales took the stage, I knew South by So What had kicked off in the best way possible. - ShuffleBeat Music

These Austin, TX, locals were chosen to have their own unique blend of smooth vocals/harmonies, flowing melodies, and bouncing beats featured in Starbucks throughout the US & Canada - Property of Zack

Shadow of Whales is a band that has taken the bar for local talent and set it to an unreachable height. - Anchor Music News