A local country duo is marking the next step in their musical career.
Deep Southwest, comprised of Meg and Pat Whalen will be celebrating the release of their new vinyl album, the soundtrack of their self-titled television series, which has been streaming on Bell Fibe TV since March.
Meg Whalen says being able to hold a physical embodiment of all their work is surreal.
“To physically hold it and say I think we accomplished something, we actually did it, and then to have people actually want to have that is shocking,” Whalen says. “We thought, because of all the community involvement (in the series,) we would have people at the premier, but for people to actually want to purchase our album is next level.”
The five-episode show features a fictionalized version of the Whalens’ band as they desperately try to increase their social media following in order to headline the Hawaiian Pizza Festival. All of the music was written and performed by the Whalens, ranging from classic country to rap.
The record was made possible through a generous donation when Carson and Sarah Warrener approached the Whalens after their series launch at the Capitol Theatre earlier this year.
“Now we have these beautiful albums that we are able to sell and retain the funds from, hopefully we can put that in our hideaway so that when there’s another opportunity that comes up to film or do something else, we can use that to pay it forward.”
To celebrate their success so far, the couple is holding an album release party and re-screening of the show at the Fortress Tavern on Grand Avenue East this Friday night, starting at 6 o’clock. The evening includes live music from Ray Whaling, free Hawaiian pizza, and prizes.
The album will also be available on streaming platforms such as Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify.