RALEIGH, N.C. -- Katharine Whalen, former front-person in the roaring ninet… Read Full Bio ↴RALEIGH, N.C. -- Katharine Whalen, former front-person in the roaring nineties swing band Squirrel Nut Zippers, is planning her return to music following a short hiatus with her first solo album in seven years, Dirty Little Secret. The album is slated to hit the streets June 6 on M.C. Records.

Squirrel Nut Zippers met with worldwide success with their second album, Hot, which sold more than a million albums on the strength of the hit single “Hell.” Riding high on that success, Whalen found she wanted to explore her inner jazz chanteuse, forming Katharine Whalen’s Jazz Squad. She enjoys this opportunity to showcase her jazzier side, but comparisons to the legendary Billie Holiday, while favorable and flattering, made her realize that she still hadn’t achieved what she set out to do: to find her own, true inner voice.

After the demise of the Squirrel Nut Zippers and, more importantly, the birth of her daughter, Cecelia Mae, the North Carolina-based artist says her focus turned more personal, more inward, and in becoming a mother, she found her voice.

Download.com describes the new album thusly: “A luscious array of jazz crooning over trip-hop beats and cabaret sensuality, Katharine Whalen drafts the script for a futuristic burlesque show that never stops. Dizzying and dazzling, Whalen dreams up masterpieces of exotica for decadent nightclubs with her eccentric and seductive charm. Picture the Squirrel Nut Zippers crossed with Portishead, then grab a martini for this mélange of the neurotic and erotic.”

Producer/musician David Sale (of the band Camus whose 1997 Atlantic recording won critical notice) produced the album. David also added his musical talents on the piano and guitar among other instruments to the project, which was recorded in Hillsborough and Efland, North Carolina, and in San Diego.

Katharine further stretched her musical wings on Dirty Little Secret by co-writing lyrics with David on the songs “The Funnest Game,” “Angels Coming Home,” “Meet Me By The Fire,” “Blur,” “The Garden,” “3 Blind Mice” and “Follow.”

“When we sat down to write,” Katharine said of her creative sessions with David, “we were telling each other stories we thought were interesting. We are both fans of songs that introduce you to a character…maybe someone you know, maybe yourself!”

Katharine will tour this summer in support of the album.

My Old Flame
Katharine Whalen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My old flame,
I can't even think of his name.
But, it's funny now and then
How my thoughts go flashing back again,
To my old flame.
My old flame.
My new lovers all seem so tame
For I haven't met a gent

So magnificent or elegant
As my old flame.
I've met so many men
With fascinating ways,
A fascinating gaze in their eyes.
Some have sent me up to the skies
But, their attempts at love
Are only imitations of my old flame.
I can't even think of his name
But, I'll never be the same

Until I discover what became of
My old flame.

Overall Meaning

The song "My Old Flame" by Katharine Whalen is a nostalgic reflection of looking back on past relationships and missing them, even though the specific memories may be fading. The nostalgic quality is emphasized in the first line, "I can't even think of his name," indicating that the memories have become hazier over time. However, the memories still come back "now and then," implying that they have a hold on the singer in the present moment.

The singer compares her current lovers to her old flame and finds them lacking in comparison. She describes her old flame as "magnificent or elegant," adding a sense of grandeur and sophistication to the relationship. The singer has met "so many men with fascinating ways," but none of them can compare to the passion and intensity of her old flame's love.

The singer's search for her old flame is not just a physical one, but also an emotional one. She states that she'll never be the same until she discovers what became of him, indicating that it's not just curiosity but also a longing to reconnect with something that was lost. The bittersweet tone of the song captures the complexities of nostalgia, recognizing the beauty of the past while acknowledging that it can never be fully recaptured.

Line by Line Meaning

My old flame,
The person I used to be in love with

I can't even think of his name.
I have forgotten his name, but not the memories

But, it's funny now and then
It's strange how memories can come and go

How my thoughts go flashing back again,
How my mind recalls my past affection

To my old flame.
The person I used to adore

My new lovers all seem so tame
My present partners all seem unimpressive

For I haven't met a gent
I haven't met a man

So magnificent or elegant
As charming and refined as my old flame

As my old flame.
The person I used to be in love with

I've met so many men
I have already dated many guys

With fascinating ways,
Who were interesting in their own ways