Coles Whalen

Coles Whalen - I Wrote This For You [LP]

Coles Whalen has officially graduated. Her latest, and easily her best release, I Wrote This For You, showcases what a formidable talent Whalen has become. While her original release date was last fall, the extra time and fervor she and producerMichael Flanders took on the album excels within each song.
Taking the plunge and moving to Nashville created quite a few rewards for Whalen. One, she was able to enlist some top-flight songwriters and musicians to channel her vision, including local standout Christopher Jak. While her bluesy folk attitude is apparent, it’s songs like “Wake Up Easy” and “Paper Airplane” that give examples of the brilliant mind behind the beauty. The standout track for me was “Cactus” – a true departure from the rest of the album, and easily one of the more creative balances of indie pop I have heard in quite some time. Other strong tracks include the radio ready “Cannonball” and the brave cover of “Chasing Cars” from Snow Patrol.

All said, Coles Whalen should be the rising star from Colorado – 13 tracks on an album could scare you now a days, but not when the content, lyrically and musically, is profound and jam-packed with zealous and incredibly talented femme flavor. - Colorado Music Buzz

This girl is one of the best country performers out there right now, just under the radar- a great time to see an artist in my opinion.
No Depression

It is tough to emphasize how lush and powerful this woman's voice is. Those in the audience who had not heard her before were awestruck, and those who already had were mouthing the lyrics to her songs.
Westword, Mark Sanders

A glance at the life and times of this honey-voiced Nashville-via-Denver singer confirms Whalen has always been an unflinching romantic with an epic vision.
The Omaha Reader

While Coles Whalen's bluesy folk attitude is apparent, it’s songs like “Wake Up Easy” and “Paper Airplane” that give examples of the brilliant mind behind the beauty. All said, Coles Whalen should be the rising star from Colorado.
Colorado Music Buzz

I am sitting here today with a true sense of the word talent. With a voice that will knock your socks off and the musical talent that will make you sway right there in your chair, she understands what it takes to make it.
IndyConcerts.com

Soulful, powerful, straight from the heart
Monica Younge, Indie Music Reviews

It’s truly inspirational to see an artist that possesses so many excellent qualities; she’s talented, approachable, and extremely loyal to her fans.
Music Tyro

The next big thing, mark my words
Kelly Ford, KYGO 98.5 FM - Denver’s New Country


WWW.COLESWHALEN.COM




- Various

It's true that these days, female singer/songwriters are a dime a dozen- and it's difficult to find one that really says something unusual with their music. But when you do find that artist who grabs you by the shirt collar, it's all the more satisfying. With that remarkably vulnerable and transparent voice trembling with determination and conviction, Coles Whalen has matched the popular appeal of female folk pop with the harmonic and emotional nuances of jazz. In a nutshell, she could easily be the next Norah Jones. – Cd Baby
www.cdbaby.com
- CD Baby

For some reason I've been getting a ton of EPs lately. Some, I'm thankful they're not full length, but for the most part I wish they were longer.

I am happy to report that Coles Whalen's EP is one of these.

"Why I Cry" is one of those break up songs that hits home to those of us who have lost someone to another person. It's quite personal and sad (and she's a little pissed off). It's also quite catchy and will stick in your head for hours, maybe days.

Whalen has a jazzy, smooth, sultry voice. Her songwriting style is rock, with a jazzy flair. She incorporates both guitar and piano prominently.

This is a great recording, I really like it. I'm looking forward to a full-length CD from Coles Whalen.

Stand out songs: "Pick up the Pieces", "Sevens" oh hell I'll name them all. Not a bad one in the bunch.

Posted on Ocotber 17, 2004

- Amy Lotsberg, Producer of Collected Sounds

It’s easy to understand from the first track why this project was included in the Collected Sounds – A Guide to Women In Music list of “Best CD’s of 2005”. Coles smooth vocals are rich with a range that is powerful and delicate simultaneously. Her vocally melodic arrangements showcase an incomparable style, though she could cover Norah, Sarah, Janis and Etta all in one night very successfully. The songwriting is beautiful, the acoustic sounds are impeccable and though she looks as soft as a flower petal on her cover, she apparently has the skin of a rhino and the guts of a soldier to get tattooed on the delicate tissue of her underside/upper arm area…OUCH! (It’s on her CD cover folks..go look!) Tracks that stand out to me are ‘Gee Baby’ – with it’s bluesy-light, laid back..almost ‘America’ sound…and the lyrical sex is a true turn on in this one. ‘Sevens’ is a wonderful collection of changing acoustic sounds and banter with the witty-wonder if her subject has “a little more of something” to them than what she’s seeing. I truly enjoyed the whole CD and will add this collection of soulful songs to my shelf of ‘easy grabs’.
-by Anette Warner


- Coffee House Tours

“Nothing is taken for granted,” singer-songwriter Coles Whalen said of her place in life, which at that moment happened to be just off the Interstate where she was having lunch, en route to Chicago for a tour stop.

“I love doing this,” she said of her work.

Not surprisingly, it’s that same four-letter word that seems to give her — as it does many troubadours — the most trouble. A glance at the life and times of this honey-voiced Nashville-via-Denver singer confirms Whalen has always been an unflinching romantic with an epic vision.

Raised in the Cherry Hills Village area of suburban Denver, a 7-year-old Whalen began her musical journey perched upon a bench, in a regime of piano lessons. That same year Whalen embarked upon her professional career as a pint-sized sensation with the Colorado Children’s Chorale’s elite National Touring Choir. Traveling the world via her voice into her early teens, Whalen then left the choir and began studying jazz piano. At 18, she took up the guitar and introduced herself to the greater Denver coffee shop circuit. Soon after, Whalen earned an invitation to the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music as a Jazz Studies major in the Thelonius Monk Institute. A year later, her interest waning in glorified jazz covers, Whalen bowed out.

“I wanted to form a band, and in 2000, finally did,” she said.

Dubbed “Whalen” after its primary songwriter, the band garnered a college following.

“We had some interest from record labels [in L.A.],” Whalen said, “but I wasn’t playing any instruments in the band.”

After three years the group dissolved under what Whalen described as a more than amicable situation.

“I still love those people, but I was artistically unfulfilled,” she said.

Compositionally, and “with a credit card,” she laughed, Whalen was eager to step out. After cutting her teeth, and a debut solo EP, in Los Angeles, Whalen returned to the mile-high city with a camper full of gear and a head full of hooks.

“It was very difficult, almost terrifying to display your [emotions], never knowing if an audience will relate or identify,” she said of her first solo performances.

Her solo efforts were described by local press as songs that spoke to the fact — and heart — of the matter. Her reputation grew as a solid live performer. Drunk in love and unable to turn the page with tear-soaked palms, Whalen’s lyrics represent fragile exercises in the difficult task of learning to say goodbye. Subservient and defiant, Whalen’s songs move between soulful intimations and waving middle fingers, in either case exposing the vulnerability that accompanies each drastic mood. Clearly, with a furled upper lip/country music mindset and a keen pop sensibility, she was ready for change.

In turn, Music City, USA, beckoned.

“While Denver is and will always be my home, l went to Nashville with the sole intention of improving my songwriting,” Whalen said. “I was nervous if [audiences] would be receptive to my country-at-best songs,” she chuckled. “They were, and it was quite rewarding for me.”

Similarly, the city’s music scene allowed her to work with producer Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson), who Whalen called “the perfect person, a crossover pop and country guy” to aid in her maturation.

Currently splitting time “pretty much evenly” between the two cities, Whalen’s prolific work ethic and evolving musical talents have earned awards (Hitlab.com’s 2009 showcase winner in the country music category), as well as funding for another album, to be recorded this month and released in early 2010.

“Without saying too much, it’s in the early stages but gaining traction. Both Keith [Stegall] and Akon (yes, that Akon) will be involved. We’re aiming for it to be great breakout,” Whalen divulged.

In the interim, Whalen releases another album October 2. Entitled The Whistle Stop Road Record, it’s a 14-song potluck of live and studio, full-bodied and bare-bones tracks that include her first remix.

“It’s been getting us some new exposure,” she beamed, “as there are some people that only listen to that type of music.”

Whalen sees a departure on the album, “While most of my previous work reveals me as a lone ‘this-is-me’ singer-songwriter, the new album and tour showcases a happy, more stable, and fleshed-out sound,” she said.

Whistle Stop… was recorded, mixed and mastered in the hyper-efficient timeframe of 10 days. When applauded for her swift approach, Whalen’s dead-shot focus and attitude again seethed when she declared, “Though I have nothing against them, I’m not as in the bubble as those that can afford being in the studio for months, riding on busses instead of driving their cars. I’ve appreciated every movement forward, every opportunity, and I will continue to do so.” by Brady Vredenburg

Coles Whalen plays with Chris Saub Friday, July 17, 9 p.m. at The Sydney, 5918 Maple St. Admission is $5. For more information visit thesydneybenson.com.
16 Jul 200 - The Omaha Reader

“Nothing is taken for granted,” singer-songwriter Coles Whalen said of her place in life, which at that moment happened to be just off the Interstate where she was having lunch, en route to Chicago for a tour stop.

“I love doing this,” she said of her work.

Not surprisingly, it’s that same four-letter word that seems to give her — as it does many troubadours — the most trouble. A glance at the life and times of this honey-voiced Nashville-via-Denver singer confirms Whalen has always been an unflinching romantic with an epic vision.

Raised in the Cherry Hills Village area of suburban Denver, a 7-year-old Whalen began her musical journey perched upon a bench, in a regime of piano lessons. That same year Whalen embarked upon her professional career as a pint-sized sensation with the Colorado Children’s Chorale’s elite National Touring Choir. Traveling the world via her voice into her early teens, Whalen then left the choir and began studying jazz piano. At 18, she took up the guitar and introduced herself to the greater Denver coffee shop circuit. Soon after, Whalen earned an invitation to the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music as a Jazz Studies major in the Thelonius Monk Institute. A year later, her interest waning in glorified jazz covers, Whalen bowed out.

“I wanted to form a band, and in 2000, finally did,” she said.

Dubbed “Whalen” after its primary songwriter, the band garnered a college following.

“We had some interest from record labels [in L.A.],” Whalen said, “but I wasn’t playing any instruments in the band.”

After three years the group dissolved under what Whalen described as a more than amicable situation.

“I still love those people, but I was artistically unfulfilled,” she said.

Compositionally, and “with a credit card,” she laughed, Whalen was eager to step out. After cutting her teeth, and a debut solo EP, in Los Angeles, Whalen returned to the mile-high city with a camper full of gear and a head full of hooks.

“It was very difficult, almost terrifying to display your [emotions], never knowing if an audience will relate or identify,” she said of her first solo performances.

Her solo efforts were described by local press as songs that spoke to the fact — and heart — of the matter. Her reputation grew as a solid live performer. Drunk in love and unable to turn the page with tear-soaked palms, Whalen’s lyrics represent fragile exercises in the difficult task of learning to say goodbye. Subservient and defiant, Whalen’s songs move between soulful intimations and waving middle fingers, in either case exposing the vulnerability that accompanies each drastic mood. Clearly, with a furled upper lip/country music mindset and a keen pop sensibility, she was ready for change.

In turn, Music City, USA, beckoned.

“While Denver is and will always be my home, l went to Nashville with the sole intention of improving my songwriting,” Whalen said. “I was nervous if [audiences] would be receptive to my country-at-best songs,” she chuckled. “They were, and it was quite rewarding for me.”

Similarly, the city’s music scene allowed her to work with producer Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson), who Whalen called “the perfect person, a crossover pop and country guy” to aid in her maturation.

Currently splitting time “pretty much evenly” between the two cities, Whalen’s prolific work ethic and evolving musical talents have earned awards (Hitlab.com’s 2009 showcase winner in the country music category), as well as funding for another album, to be recorded this month and released in early 2010.

“Without saying too much, it’s in the early stages but gaining traction. Both Keith [Stegall] and Akon (yes, that Akon) will be involved. We’re aiming for it to be great breakout,” Whalen divulged.

In the interim, Whalen releases another album October 2. Entitled The Whistle Stop Road Record, it’s a 14-song potluck of live and studio, full-bodied and bare-bones tracks that include her first remix.

“It’s been getting us some new exposure,” she beamed, “as there are some people that only listen to that type of music.”

Whalen sees a departure on the album, “While most of my previous work reveals me as a lone ‘this-is-me’ singer-songwriter, the new album and tour showcases a happy, more stable, and fleshed-out sound,” she said.

Whistle Stop… was recorded, mixed and mastered in the hyper-efficient timeframe of 10 days. When applauded for her swift approach, Whalen’s dead-shot focus and attitude again seethed when she declared, “Though I have nothing against them, I’m not as in the bubble as those that can afford being in the studio for months, riding on busses instead of driving their cars. I’ve appreciated every movement forward, every opportunity, and I will continue to do so.” by Brady Vredenburg

Coles Whalen plays with Chris Saub Friday, July 17, 9 p.m. at The Sydney, 5918 Maple St. Admission is $5. For more information visit thesydneybenson.com.
16 Jul 200 - The Omaha Reader