The Whitlams Release First Album In 15 Years ‘Sancho’ - Noise11.com
The Whitlams. Tim Freedman Picture: Scott Gelston

The Whitlams. Tim Freedman Picture: Scott Gelston

The Whitlams Release First Album In 15 Years ‘Sancho’

by Paul Cashmere on February 3, 2022

in News

The Whitlams ‘Sancho’ album has been released marking more than 15 years inbetween albums.

Tim Freedman dedicates the new album to his tour manager Greg ‘Sancho’ Weaver, who passed away in May 2019 after suffering a heart attack. It was then that Tim started to write songs for this album.

Sancho had worked with Tim Freedman since 1997. The album features two songs about him ‘Sancho’ and ‘Sancho in Love’.

At thewhitlams.com Tim says, “I’ve written some sad songs about blokes in my time, but I wanted to make the title track “Sancho” different, and write a joyous song about the good times on the road. The pain of returning to those memories when we realise how much we miss him makes it a very important song for the whole band. We’ll know it’s sounding good if there is a ghost of the big guy air-drumming behind the sound desk. He would have loved mixing this song with the stacked harmonies and the art rock ending because first and foremost he was a music lover who enjoyed a challenge.

“The other song about Greg is “Sancho In Love”. I wanted to capture his charming quirks, so with the help of his family I started by listing some of his favourite things like sleeping on tour buses, and his otherworldly contentment with the sound of laundromats. Then I moved onto some of his habits and catchphrases. As his reputation grew, Greg worked with a lot of big bands: Boy and Bear thought I should mention Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream in the song, and Ballpark Music loved his portable tour iron with which he would press his Bisley shorts before setting out on the workday”.

Tim Freedman also performed the opening song ‘Catherine Wheel’ on Fran Kelly’s final Radio National Breakfast Show in December 2021.

Our first taste of ‘Sancho’ was the 2021 song ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) I’m 50 Again’.

The Whitlams will tour Australia from 17 February, 2022.

Be the first to see NOISE.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE

Noise11.com

Follow Noise11 on Social Media

Noise11 on Instagram

You’ll discover music news first following Noise11 on Twitter

Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook

Related Posts

Miami Horror supplied
Miami Horror, Sneaky Sound System and Bag Raiders to Headline Live at the Gardens 2025 in Melbourne

Melbourne’s Live at the Gardens series will hit euphoric heights this November with a triple-bill of Australian electronic heavyweights. Miami Horror, Sneaky Sound System and Bag Raiders will join forces for a one-night-only dancefloor celebration under the stars at the Royal Botanic Gardens on Saturday, 29 November 2025.

4 days ago
Salt N Pepa Facebook profile
Salt-N-Pepa Double Down: “Time to Fight for Our Rights” in Copyright Clash with Universal

Salt-N-Pepa are, taking on Universal Music Group in a battle over copyright ownership that could reshape how legacy artists control their music. Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton launched their lawsuit earlier this year, accusing Universal of unlawfully blocking their attempts to exercise termination rights, provisions in U.S. copyright law that allow artists to reclaim their work 35 years after handing it over in early contracts. Salt-N-Pepa say they followed every legal step, yet Universal refused their claim.

5 days ago
Missy Elliott, music news, noise11.com
Missy Elliott Averts Copyright Trial at the Last Minute in Pennsylvania Federal Court

In a dramatic turn, rapper, songwriter, and trailblazing producer Missy Elliott narrowly avoided heading to trial in a long-running copyright dispute, reportedly settling the case mere minutes before a jury was due to be selected in a Pennsylvania federal courtroom.

6 days ago
Rai Thistlethwayte The Fabulous Caprettos by Mary Boukouvalas
Sammy Hagar’s New Live Album Features Rai Thistlethwayte of Thirsty Merc

Sammy Hagar has always had a reputation for surrounding himself with powerhouse players, but his upcoming live album, Sammy Hagar & The Best Of All Worlds Band – The Residency (out October 10, 2025 via Big Machine Rock), brings a distinctly Australian twist. On keyboards, vocals and guitar is Rai Thistlethwayte, best known at home for fronting Thirsty Merc and more recently as a member of The Fabulous Caprettos. For Australian fans, the inclusion of Thistlethwayte in Hagar’s latest chapter is a striking reminder of how far the Sydney-born musician’s career has travelled.

7 days ago
Ugly Kid Joe Menace To Sobriety
Ugly Kid Joe Celebrate 30 Years of Menace To Sobriety With Deluxe Vinyl Reissue

In 1995, Ugly Kid Joe released Menace To Sobriety, their second full-length album. A heavier, darker, and more muscular outing than their blockbuster debut America’s Least Wanted, Menace was hailed by Kerrang! as “the album of the year.” Yet, in the United States, the record received little to no label support, leaving frontman Whitfield Crane to famously declare that their label was quietly backing away.

August 22, 2025
Five
Five Are Back – Keep On Movin’ 2026 Tour Set to Ignite Australia and NZ

After a 25-year hiatus, one of the UK’s most adored pop-rocket launches—Five—are back in full force. Sean, Ritchie, Scott, Abz and J Brown will reunite for the Keep On Movin’ 2026 Tour, roaring into Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne—and even Auckland—next May.

August 22, 2025
Ed Kuepper and Jim White
Ed Kuepper and Jim White Announce First U.S. Shows With Mick Harvey

Ed Kuepper, twice inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as a founding member of both The Saints and Laughing Clowns, will finally bring his acclaimed collaboration with Dirty Three drummer Jim White to the United States for the first time this November. The pair will perform in Los Angeles on November 4 and New York on November 17, with support from none other than Mick Harvey of The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds.

August 21, 2025