Whirr

Whirr is a shoegaze band from San Francisco, California, United States, active from 2010. Their sound is usually placed in shoegaze, with associations to alternative rock, dream pop, indie rock, noise pop and pop. The group begins in 2010 under the name Whirl, a title created by drummer Sergio Miranda during the recording of the first demos for an unnamed project. The name changes after a legal threat over the original name.

Formation and early releases

Founding guitarist Nick Bassett also plays in Deafheaven around the release of that band’s 2011 album, Roads to Judah. Whirr first releases a self-released demo cassette and the Distressor EP before signing to Tee Pee Records in 2011. Their original vocalist, Byanca Munoz, leaves because of creative differences and is replaced by Alexandra Morte, who also performs with Night School and Camera Shy. The band then releases the June single and follows it with debut album Pipe Dreams in 2012.

In 2012, Whirr also issues two splits, one with Anne and one with Monster Movie. In 2013, original drummer Sergio Miranda leaves and Devin Nunes takes over on drums. Alexandra Morte also departs, and Kristina Esfandiari of Miserable and King Woman joins as vocalist. The live EP Part Time Punks Sessions appears in 2013, recorded from a 2012 performance with the earlier line-up.

Line-up changes and later records

Whirr release the Around EP in 2013, with the new vocalist and session drummer Trevor DeSchryver, who has also played in Lycus, Dispirit and formerly Deafheaven. They tour with Nothing that August. As a result of that touring connection, members of Nothing and Whirr form the gothic rock and post-punk side project Death of Lovers. Bassett later joins Nothing as a bassist and also starts the alternative pop project Camera Shy with former Whirr vocalist Alexandra Morte.

Whirr contribute a cover of Nirvana’s “Pennyroyal Tea” to the tribute compilation In Utero, in Tribute, in Entirety in 2014. Their second full-length album, Sway, appears in 2014 and is the first release with Loren Rivera as the sole vocalist. Later that year, Graveface Records issues a remastered version of Pipe Dreams as Pipe Dreams (Redux), with remastering by Jack Shirley and new artwork, using the tracklist the band prefers over the original 2012 release. A split with Nothing follows on Run for Cover Records.

Later activity

In 2015, remarks posted on the band’s Twitter account about G.L.O.S.S. draw backlash, and Graveface Records and Run for Cover Records end their ties with the group. Bassett later says he posts the first tweet, while the band publicly apologises and says the person responsible has been removed from their circle.

After several quiet years, Whirr issue Feels Like You in 2019. They later release the single “Muta / Blue Sugar Raw Blue” in 2023, and follow it with “Speeding / Busy” in 2024.

Members

The current line-up includes Nick Bassett, Loren Rivera, Joseph Bautista, Eddie Salgado, Devin Nunes, Byanca Munoz, Sergio Miranda, Alexandra Morte and Kristina Esfandiari.