New York-based supergroup WHATMORE burst onto the scene early this summer with the punchy and extremely energetic single “eastside w my dogs” and have since drawn comparisons to iconic hip-hop collectives like BROCKHAMPTON, A$AP Mob, and Odd Future to name a few. Since then, things have only continued to accelerate with the releases of “chicken shop date,” “go!,""jenny’s,” and “bombay (keep it alive);” and the group is showing no signs of pumping the brakes. Each single released adds a brick to the world WHATMORE is aiming to build, exhibiting a level of versatility that’s wildly impressive, especially given the fact that they’ve operated in this group setting for less than a year. In addition to the singles, they’ve released host of visually stunning music videos for each song, five personal vignettes covering each member of the group, and organized a sold out pop-out show at a local chicken shop to promote “chicken shop date,” the highlights of which are sure to leave even the most introverted introvert with a bit of FOMO. All of this is in preparation of their self-titled debut album, which is set to release on October 17, 2025, so EARMILK was absolutely thrilled to get the opportunity sit down with the busy and bubbling supergroup for an exclusive interview to discuss their humble beginnings, musical inspirations, chicken shops, and where they hope to take things in the future.
Comprised of Cisco Swank, Yoshi T., Sebastiano, Jackson August, and producer/ engineer Elijah Judah, the members of WHATMORE met at LaGuardia High School in New York, New York during their freshman year. “Me, Elijah, and Jackson actually met, like, first day of school. We had saxophone class… we all were around each other for all of high school, for sure, but the group kinda came together, like, after, right after high school,” Sebastiano explains. There’s a camaraderie and sense of kinship between the 5 of them that feels indicative of longtime friends, even despite the zoom call setting or the fact that both Cisco and Elijah weren’t in the same location as Jackson, Sebastiano, and Yoshi, who were out to lunch; the energy still manages to ooze through the screen.
When asked about the moment in which the band became official, Cisco explained that, while they had always collaborated on each other's solo work, the group didn’t come together until a show he had that he didn’t want to perform at, so he opted instead to have them all perform as a group. “We [had to] lock in and at least have, like, three songs we could play… so everyone came to my crib [and] made–literally, like, two, three songs just in my apartment in Brooklyn. That was kind of, like, the first [time] where we were really like ‘lets make songs all together.’”
One of the songs they made during this session was “go!”, Yoshi then came up with the name, and the rest was history.
The genre-bending New York pentad aren’t quick to put themselves into a box as it pertains to where they stand musically, either. With inspirations ranging from Oasis to Herbie Hancock to Asap Mob to Pro Era to The Strokes, WHATMORE has managed to create a wonderfully concocted stew of sonic diversity that somehow manages to fuse into something, not just coherent, but uniquely WHATMORE. “It’s honestly hard to, define it…” Jackson explains. “…we all… come from… super different parts of New York and different parts of… music… Like, Cisco lives in the jazz world and hip hop, and I grew up, you know, playing in bands and s**t and like, guitar music, alternative music… Yoshi comes from, like, a very R&B hip hop, and [Sebastiano], his own brand of hip hop… It sounds mad corny, but it's…kind of just [putting] it all in the blender.” Jackson goes on to explain that they’re still perfecting their sound and experimenting, trying to have fun while doing it.
In addition to musical influences, the group is very much a product of their environment. There’s an inexplicable yet quintessential New York energy that manifests itself within every facet of the group, from their music, to their sense of style, to the way they seem to carry themselves. “There’s something about doing it with your homies in New York,” Jackson explains. However, nowhere is this New Yorkness quite as evident as it is in the group’s visuals. Ranging from chaotic, haphazardous, and unplanned to methodical, intimate and self-contained, the visuals feel like reflections of the city that never sleeps, following the exploits of five friends as they traverse various locations within the urban jungle on a journey to become the greatest band in the world.
“Let’s just be the greatest group ever to ever exist,” Yoshi said of the band’s formation. They feel like hometown heroes in a lot of these videos. “…All the people in, like, everything we film is literally the homies and real characters through our lives,” Cisco explained. “[That’s] literally my chicken spot in Brooklyn, like, a block and a half away from my old crib,” he continued, referring to the tumultuous “chicken shop date” music video which features a countertop bike repair, smoking in the walk-in, and live chickens. The video inspired the aforementioned sold-out pop up show which, in addition to Yoshi, August, and Sebastiano literally being recognized on the street as this interview was being conducted, really solidifies the hometown heroes idea in a way that feels very… New York.
All in all, the sky’s the limit when it comes to WHATMORE’s potential going forward. With a sonic palette that’s as diverse as the people that create it, there’s bound to be a bit of something for everyone. “We’re always working on stuff, like, actually always. So… music will not stop coming. Videos will definitely not cease,” Cisco says of what’s next for WHATMORE. “We’ve definitely been in, like, WHATMORE mode since we made this music because we’ve been so excited to put it out,” Sebastiano added. The group says that it’s going to be a WHATMORE fall, and we here at EARMILK are beyond excited to hear the both album and what comes next for multi-genre New York supergroup. Strap in, because this is where things really start to take off.
Pre-Save WHATMORE by WHATMORE, out October 17, 2025 on all DSPs.
