Pre-order of Whatever That Is. The moment the album is released you’ll get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Purchasable with gift card
releases June 28, 2024
$12USD or more
Record/Vinyl
Pressed on high-quality splatter wax, each vinyl is a unique visual expression, mirroring the album's innovative spirit and Sean Cunningham's creativity. The vibrant splashes of color on the disc make every spin a captivating visual experience, complementing the immersive audio journey.
Limited edition, only 300 made.
Includes digital pre-order of Whatever That Is.
The moment the album is released you’ll get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
digital album releases June 28, 2024
item ships out on or around June 24, 2024
edition of 200
$30USDor more
1.
Whatever That Is
2.
Honey Bee
3.
Lonesome No More
4.
No Strings
5.
Sayonara
6.
Young Punks Interlude
7.
Habit
8.
North
9.
Alibi
10.
Ants On The Ground
about
Sean Cunningham has never been afraid to evolve.
Before reinventing himself with Whatever That Is — a wildly adventurous, self-produced solo album that blurs the boundaries between alternative, modern pop, indie rock, and lyric-driven Americana — the songwriter spent more than a decade in constant motion, releasing music with several different projects.
There was Atlas, the career-launching band that took Cunningham all the way to New Zealand, where the group's chart-topping single "Crawl" set a new record for the longest-running Number 1 hit in Kiwi history. There was The Cunning, the Led Zeppelin-influenced rock band that he formed after relocating to Nashville. There was The Whole Charade, the electronic EP that he released as a solo act in 2020, combining the digital soundscapes of Radiohead's Kid A with the pop melodies of Peter Gabriel. And finally, there were the acoustic gigs he played during the years that followed, showcasing the melodies and songwriting chops that have always anchored his music.
All of that momentum leads Cunningham to his full-length solo debut, Whatever That Is, whose 10 songs do more than signal his next era as an artist. They nod to his previous work, too, pulling a thread from past to present. "This album has everything: where I come from, where I've been, and where I'm going," says the Louisville native. Largely written during a time of personal upheaval — including the loss of his father, the dissolution of his band, and a global pandemic — the album is a snapshot of a songwriter in transformation, singing about final chapters and new beginnings. Those themes are introduced by the album's title track, an autobiographical rallying cry stacked high with guitars, orchestral strings, and Cunningham's dedication to the long haul.
"It’s about doing the best we can, whatever that is," he says of the song, recorded and produced alongside Joey Liechty in Nashville, Tennessee. "I'm welcoming a new stage in my life, where losing my dad made me even more self-aware. This is not a loss record; this is a record about coming to grips with reality, being aware of our mistakes and our growth, and picking back up."
From the start, Whatever That Is proves to be as diverse as the musician who created it. "No Strings" is driven forward by acoustic guitars and a sparse arrangement that showcases Cunningham's love of American roots music, while the anthemic "Habit" pushes him into new territory, layering pop melodies with heartland rock & roll muscle, atmospheric reverb, and a chorus built for arenas. "North," one of two songs co-produced with Shane Wiseman, is hazy and gorgeous, punctuated by chiming guitars that dissipate into the ether. The album comes to a close with "Ants on the Ground," a song that Cunningham wrote from the 19th-floor of a hotel in Seattle, quarantined and spending borrowed time gazing down at city life below.
“It’s a song about perspective, and it felt like the right way to close out the album,” he explains.
Whatever That Is was largely recorded in Cunningham's home. Friends and former bandmates chipped in, but the majority of the album's instruments were played by Cunningham himself. Years earlier, he created his albums in a different manner, spending weeks in big-budget studios while a record label footed the bill. Creating Whatever That Is represented something different: a step forward into uncharted territory, with Cunningham taking complete control of the reins. For an artist who experienced overnight success during the infancy of his career, Cunningham proves his staying power with Whatever That Is, an album that rebrands the songwriter as a musical lifer able to rebuild, reimagine, and discover himself over and over again.
"Making this record was a process of resilience, discovery, and figuring out what I can do on my own without a big budget,” he explains. “To honor what I was hearing and what inspired me without any distractions. To make a record for myself.”
Produced by Sean Cunningham & Friends
Mixed & Engineered by Joey Leichty & Mike Fahey, additional mixing by Rob Sewell
Mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios
Recorded at Magic Eye Studios and Starbird Sound, Nashville TN
All songs written by Sean Cunningham.
Additional Musicians: Joey Liechty, Charlie Abbott, Kiernan McMullan, Stevie Rae Stephens, Shane Weisman, Gabriel Broussard, Dalton Thomas, Jon Truman
Cover photo by Sean Cunningham
Packaging by Belhum Design
MGMT by Michelle Garramone
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