Ali Whitton has spent the better part of a decade quietly building towards this moment. With his debut album ‘Between The Forest And The Stars’ finally being released next week, we caught up with the Wellington-based indie folk artist to chat about his journey from small venues in London to arenas in Aotearoa, working with Reb Fountain, and the importance of connection.
Originally from Yorkshire, Whitton’s sound sits comfortably within the indie folk space, with a poetic undercurrent which sets him apart. “I love pedal steel, slide guitar, violin – those long notes. it’s like the hills of Yorkshire with something real in the foreground, something imperfect, human – not AI – singing something true.” His songwriting is shaped as much by language as it is by melody, a trait which can be attributed, at least in part, to the discovery of his father’s poetry in an old filing cabinet in the family home. “I asked him about them, and he said they were from when his first wife left him. They were good, interesting lines, and he wasn’t someone who talked about feelings. That stuck with me – it showed me that you can process things through writing, instead of talking. So I started with words first, and then later taught myself guitar”.
Whitton cut his teeth playing shows to small venues in both London and France, before relocating to Aotearoa in 2010. Those early shows helped to shape not only his sound, but also his perspective on what it means to perform. London, he recalls, was like “the equivalent of loads of people in a room shouting, and then you were there trying to shout too… it didn’t feel fun, but then I was lucky to get in a gig circuit with other musicians, and just see a lot of the same people and kind of do it for that, really.”
It was in Paris where he found something more meaningful – connection. “France was a chance thing. Somebody found my CD and was like, I can get it in some shops, but they want you to come over and play.” Despite the language barrier, French audiences were able to connect with the emotion of his music, providing that sense of intimacy and authenticity which helped to shape Whitton’s sound. “I’d have people who could barely speak english, saying ‘oh, we can tell you’re singing from your heart’.”
He recalls a similarity between those small towns in France, where people would turn up simply because they saw the poster, to towns here in New Zealand as well. “I get to talk to people, and play some songs, and make some sort of connection around shared experience, and so that’s the dream.”
It hasn’t all been small towns in France and New Zealand, but intimacy remains at the core regardless of scale. Having previously supported long-time friend Ed Sheeran at stadium shows back in 2018, Whitton has experienced both sides of the performance spectrum – in a remarkably small amount of time. While the scale of the stadium is somewhat impressive, it reinforced to him that bigger isn’t always better, but rather that you get something different from each. “For me, connection is the most important thing. What surprised me was that I could still talk to the audience in a similar way, it didn’t feel as weird as I expected. I was mostly talking to the people at the front, but still checking in with the rest of the stadium. That’s a big part of who I am – just being real and talking to people.”
The instinct to observe and reflect runs through Whitton’s music; a deliberate avoidance of cliché replaced with imagery which feels both personal and open-ended. It’s no surprise that listeners often describe his songs as “poetic” – a balance of raw honesty, and carefully crafted storytelling.
His latest single, ‘Forever’, offers a glimpse into the evolving nature of his sound. Co-written and produced alongside acclaimed folk artist Reb Fountain and her long-time collaborator Dave Khan, the track leans moodier, darker than Whitton’s earlier singles, showing a new side to his storytelling.
The collaboration came about organically, sparked by Whitton’s desire to challenge himself by writing a song a week, and to seek out local producers. It was Whitton’s partner who suggested seeking out whoever produces Fountain’s records, which led him to find Dave Khan. After one session working with Khan, Reb was brought in as co-producer, to help tighten up from a songwriting perspective. Working with Fountain proved to be both creatively liberating, as well as quietly intimidating. “They’re the real deal,” Whitton admits. “I felt like a bit of an impostor, I suppose… They helped push me beyond my comfort zone, in order to know where my comfort zone ended.”
That willingness to step outside familiar territory has opened new doors. While Whitton isn’t abandoning his folk roots he’s increasingly interested in collaborating with other artists, exploring different textures and dynamics. “I’m not bound to writing just folky love songs. It’s about growing your confidence at a speed that feels right, to do some newer and different things.”
With his debut album release looming, Whitton is both grounded and quietly optimistic. Of the tracks on the album, two which stand out to him are ‘Patterns’, which he describes as the “focus track, it’s more accessible and catchy”, and ‘Like a Forest’. “It’s the last one we recorded, so it means a lot to me. It’s very restrained and atmospheric, I’m curious to see how people respond to it.”
Ali Whitton’s debut album is scheduled for release on 16th April, 2026.
