Trixie Whitley — yes, daughter of the late musician, Chris Whitley — has had music in her practically since birth. She started playing drums at age 10, DJing underground clubs in Belgium at 11, and by her teens, she was touring Europe with an assortment of avant-garde theater and dance collectives. A determined musician who both thinks in and speaks three languages (English, French, and Flemish), Whitley grew up between New York and Belgium, ditching high school at 17 to dedicate herself to the beat. Soon, she went from working at a dive to touring with Daniel Lanois’ band Black Dub, eventually striking out on her own in 2013. Since then, she’s released three EPs and LPs, toured the world, and collaborated with the likes of Robert Plant, Marianne Faithful, and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Trixie Whitley is ready to listen to her heartbeat — whether it aches for the state of the world, calls out for her child, or just syncs with her sticks on the drumkit. A musician whose life has been a tapestry of melody, dance, and self-expression, Whitley’s new era is all about digging into the “primal,” infusing her songs with all the joys, sorrow, and intricacies of motherhood — and life itself. “I felt such a deep maternal instinct at a very young age,” she says. “I want to embrace all of the complexities of being a mother and finding my way in an industry that doesn’t embrace motherhood at all.”

That all comes to glorious fruition on her 2024 EP, Dragon, which touches on everything from maternal love to loss of bodily autonomy. It was named, quite aptly, after an illustration by her daughter that also graces the cover of the record. “I need to listen to my womb — my gut,” she says. That’s a big part of these recordings.” Dragon of Everything marks a shift from Whitley’s last release, 2019’s Lacuna, which was a nod to her “rave kid” past. “I’ve always had a deep, deep love for heavy rhythm music and dance music,” she says. “Electronic sounds and very organic, primal sounds.” This time, though she went to all in organic. * Trixie is currently working on a new album due to drop in Winter 2025.