Whitey

Whitey is the ongoing solo project of N.J. Whitey, a UK alt-pop musician from Coventry, United Kingdom. He works under the Whitey name as a self-taught performer and writer, singing and playing guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and programming.

Style and work

His music moves across rock, indie, electronic and related styles, with songs that shift sharply between genres. He is known for an outsider approach and for working outside the usual music industry structures.

He has no major record deal and releases music through labels including NO! Label and Spoilt. Over time he has released more than 30 records under different names.

Releases and reach

Whitey’s recordings reach beyond underground circles and appear on mainstream daytime radio in the United States and elsewhere. His music also features across film soundtracks, television, computer games, skate films, fashion runway events and club settings.

His work is associated with a wide range of places and scenes, from Japan and Iceland to Moscow and Hollywood, and it appears in relation to programmes and games including Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and Grand Theft Auto.

Live work

He gives relatively few shows and few interviews, and his live performances vary widely. Some are rhythmic and upbeat, while others take place in darkened rooms and lean into feedback and electronic noise. Other sets move between heavy rock passages, simple melodies on small bells, acoustic guitars and toy instruments.

He has performed with acts including New Order, Iggy Pop, Soulwax, Peaches and the Undertones, and he plays both rock clubs and dance venues.

Background

Whitey has lived in several places and later settles in Los Angeles, but Coventry is the place where he is said to have finished growing up. His work presents him as an artist positioned between high fashion, mainstream entertainment, pop radio and the underground.