Whispertown

A native of Oregon who grew up in Los Angeles, Nagler worked as a child actor, appearing on the TV series Punky Brewster and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,{{cite web|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/whispertown-morgan-nagler-sxsw|title=Morgan Nagler's Parallel Lives – Interview Magazine|date=March 11, 2013|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} as well as in the film American Pie 2 (2001) as the band camp friend of Michelle Flaherty (played by Alyson Hannigan).

Nagler met and befriended fellow former child actor Blake Sennett in the mid-1990s. Soon after, Sennett and Jenny Lewis formed the band Rilo Kiley in 1998, and Nagler also began writing songs and singing. In 2004, Nagler performed her songs before a live audience (with help from friend Tod Adrian Wisenbaker) as the opening act for the Elected, Sennett's side project from Rilo Kiley. Nagler credits Sennett and Lewis for giving her the support to record and perform her own songs.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In 2005, Nagler and Wisenbaker named their group Whispertown 2000 and asked Vanesa Corbala and Colt Maloney to join. During the fall 2006 tour, Casey Wisenbaker (Tod's brother) also joined the band. Their debut album, Livin' in a Dream, was released in 2006. It was produced by Sennett and Jimmy Tamborello (of Dntel and the Postal Service). Additional performers included Sennett, Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice. Maloney parted ways with the band in 2007.

Nagler co-wrote Rilo Kiley's "Dreamworld", from their fourth and final full-length album, Under the Blacklight (2007). "Dreamworld" was included in Rolling Stone magazine's list of "16 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs (Not by Fleetwood Mac)"{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/16-best-fleetwood-mac-songs-not-by-fleetwood-mac-20150114/rilo-kiley-dreamworld-20150113|title=16 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs (Not by Fleetwood Mac)|author1=Reed Fischer |author2=Keith Harris |author3=Will Hermes |author4=Daniel Kreps |author5=Nick Murray |author6=Brittany Spanos |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=January 14, 2015|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} and was also listed in the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.radiohitlist.com/KROQ/KROQ-2007.htm|title=KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2007 Countdown List|website=www.radiohitlist.com|accessdate=August 29, 2018}}

On October 21, 2008, the band released their second full-length album, Swim, on Acony Records. Along with this new release, the official name of the band changed to the Whispertown 2000 (with definite article "the" included). Additional performers included Lewis, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Nagler co-wrote "Sweet Tooth" from Rawlings' 2009 album A Friend of a Friend.

On March 20, 2012, Nagler released the EP Parallel under the name Whispertown. Parallel was her second release on Acony. The EP was recorded and mixed by Andy LeMaster (of Bright Eyes), co-produced by Jake Bellows (of Neva Dinova) and executive produced by Rawlings.{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2012/01/song-premiere-whispertownparallel.html|title=Song Premiere: Whispertown – "Open the Other Eye"|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} NPR premiered the video for the title track on July 3, 2013, calling it "luscious and expansive".{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2013/06/26/195923017/whispertown-parallel-video-premiere|title=First Watch: Whispertown Shows Stunning 'Parallel' Worlds|website=NPR |publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} Paste gave Parallel a 7.1 out of 10, calling it "resoundingly solid ... keeping a balance between two divergent aesthetics (singer-songwriter fare and classic country heft)."{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/03/whispertown-parallel-1.html|title=Whispertown: Parallel|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} In August, Nagler was featured in Rolling Stone's profile on Laurel Canyon's revival at the home of Jonathan Wilson, and how "the former L.A. home base of Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne is now a hub to a new wave of hippie rockers."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hot-scene-the-return-to-laurel-canyon-19691231|title=Hot Scene: The Return to Laurel Canyon|first=Jenny|last=Eliscu|magazine=Rolling Stone |date=August 28, 2012|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}}

In 2013, Nagler starred in the movie Pleased to Meet Me, featuring Aimee Mann, John Doe, Loudon Wainwright III and Joe Henry. That same year, Haim released the song "Falling", co-written by Nagler.{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/falling-single/id599582514|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101013057/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/falling-single/id599582514|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 1, 2013|title=iTunes – Music – Falling – Single by Haim|website=iTunes |publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} It was the third single from their debut studio album, Days Are Gone, and peaked at No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 2014, Kim Deal and Nagler released a 7-inch single, "The Root"/"Range on Castle".{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1674011/qa-kim-deal-on-her-solo-7-series-making-new-breeders-music-and-her-lifelong-obsession-with-gear/franchises/interview/|title=Q&A: Kim Deal On Her Solo 7" Series, Making New Breeders Music, And Her Lifelong Obsession With Gear|date=April 7, 2014|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} Pitchfork premiered the video for "The Root" on March 21, 2014.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/54438-watch-kim-deals-video-for-new-solo-single-the-root/|title=Watch Kim Deal's Video For New Solo Single "The Root" – Pitchfork|website=pitchfork.com|date=March 21, 2014 |accessdate=August 29, 2018}} The lyric video for "Range on Castle" was premiered by Bob Boilen on NPR Music on July 10, 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/event/music/330182199/kim-deal-morgan-nagler-range-on-castle|title=Kim Deal & Morgan Nagler, 'Range on Castle'|website=NPR |publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}}

Whispertown released I'm a Man on September 1, 2017, on Graveface Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/new-music/whispertown-im-a-man|title=Whispertown, "I'm a Man" – New Music – Impose Magazine|date=July 17, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} The title track premiered on Impose on July 17, 2017, and was KCRW's "Top Tune" on August 17, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/todays-top-tune/whispertown-im-a-man|title=Whispertown: I'm a Man|date=August 14, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} In October, Whispertown opened for M. Ward on a string of west coast dates.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/mwardmusic/videos/10156503158374573/|title=M. Ward|website=www.facebook.com|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} Nagler appeared in the video for the title track from Kevin Morby's 2017 album, City Music.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cKM3tfAsEo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/7cKM3tfAsEo |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Kevin Morby – City Music (Official Video)|last=KevinMorbyVEVO|date=June 6, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

• Morgan Nagler – lead vocals, guitar, songwriter
• Jake Bellows – guitar, vocals

• Vanesa Corbala – vocals, drums, percussion
• Colt Maloney – bass
• Casey Wisenbaker – bass, guitar, drums
• Tod Adrian Wisenbaker – guitar, drums

• Whispertown 2000 – Livin' in a Dream (2006, n/a)
• The Whispertown 2000 – Swim (2008, Acony Records)
• Whispertown – Parallel (2012, Acony Records)
• Whispertown – I'm a Man (2017, Graveface Records)

• Jenny Lewis & Whispertown 2000 – "Paradise"/"Hometown" 7-inch (2006, Team Love Records){{cite web|url=http://www.team-love.com/releases/|title=RELEASES – Team Love Records – New Paltz, NY|website=www.team-love.com|accessdate=August 29, 2018}}
• Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight; "Dreamworld" (2007, Warner Bros.)
• David Rawlings Machine – A Friend of a Friend; "Sweet Tooth"{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=137823880|title=Gillian Welch & David Rawlings: The Fresh Air Interview|website=NPR |publisher=|accessdate=August 29, 2018}} (2009, Acony Records)
• Haim – "Falling" (2013, Polydor Records)
• Kim Deal & Morgan Nagler – "The Root"/"Range on Castle" 7-inch (2014, n/a)
• Good People Rock: A Yellow Bird Project Covers Compilation – "Give a Little Love" (Rilo Kiley cover) (2015, Yellow Bird Project/Madic Records)
• Maria Taylor – In the Next Life; "If Only" (2016, Flower Moon Records)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.whispertown.com/ Whispertown's Official Website]
• {{IMDb name|id=0619382|name=Morgan Nagler}}

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Category:Indie rock musical groups from California

Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles