In 2010, Whaley set out to record every song by The Smiths in a year. Each song required up to 30 vocal layers to represent the various instruments in the original, and could take up to 30 hours to complete – meaning work on various songs overlapped. With financial backing from supporters through the website Kickstarter, The Smiths Project was released on CD in 2011. Patchwork Life, Whaley’s first album of originals, followed in 2012. The album reflects her more recent influences, such as Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk, John Cage, John Zorn as well as the experimental aspects of rock/alternative music by Björk, Mike Patton, and Radiohead.
In 2010, Whaley set out to record every song by The Smiths in a year. Each song required up to 30 vocal layers to represent the various instruments in the original, and could take up to 30 hours to complete – meaning work on various songs overlapped. With financial backing from supporters through the website Kickstarter, The Smiths Project was released on CD in 2011. Patchwork Life, Whaley’s first album of originals, followed in 2012. The album reflects her more recent influences, such as Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk, John Cage, John Zorn as well as the experimental aspects of rock/alternative music by Björk, River Patton, and Radiohead.