Whitney Johnson

Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, and Macie Stewart unveil performance film for “Stone | Piece,” directed by Derrick Alexander at The Land School. Blending strings with analog tape loops, the video captures a fresh, ambient take on the composition. The release coincides with their sold-out support dates for Andrew Bird’s Gezelligheid shows in Chicago, teasing a new album for 2026.

Three pillars of Chicago’s experimental scene—Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, and Macie Stewart—have formed a new trio. Their debut single, “Stone Piece I,” out now on International Anthem, transforms improvised strings and vocals into a textural soundscape using analog tape loops. The release previews their live debut at Chicago’s Sound & Gravity Festival on September 11th and a full album planned for 2026.

Experimental, trippy, fiercely creative and quite mesmerising, Whitney Johnson & Lia Kohl’s ‘For Translucence’ is a tricky album to pin down, but you’ll be glad you gave it the time and space to reveal itself.

Chicago-based Whitney Johnson and Lia Kohl announce their debut album, For Translucence, and share their new single and video “73|74”. Their goal is “for translucence”: for each successive part to add clarity to its others.