Say “Hi WHATMORE!”: A brief chat with WHATMORE at Gov Ball ‘26

Photo by Jeremy Cohen.

NYC’s WHATMORE is a homegrown five-piece consisting of high school friends, Cisco Swank, Yoshi T, Sebastiano, Jackson August (vocals), and Elijah Judah (producer). WHATMORE’s untamed energy, as well as their brotherly dynamic has captivated audiences across the world. 

Off the Record caught up with WHATMORE following their hyper-active Govball set.  

Photo by Dom Betances.

To say it’s been a busy year for the group is an understatement. It was only about a year ago when I first caught up with the band outside a Chinese restaurant that for the night was transformed into an ambient nightclub. Fast forward to now, and WHATMORE dominates the social media landscape. They’ve been featured everywhere from The Zane Lowe Show, and COLORS to a Coachella set and have now made their way to the Gov Ball ‘26 main stage.  

When asked about playing Gov Ball and navigating this newfound reality, the group examines their roots. “It felt amazing. I mean, we don't take anything for granted. It's like we're from here. It's cool playing a really legendary festival,” Cisco said.

“We're so blessed,” Sebastiano said.

Simply put, WHATMORE are just kids from Brooklyn: they attended LaGuardia high school, they’re synonymous with the community, and represent New York loudly. 

With more and more exposure, the group swiftly avoids outside pressure by focusing on the moment at hand.

“Yeah, everything that's happening is still super surreal. And we're just working hard, taking it one step at a time, trying to deliver for the fans, you know?” Elijah said.

With over 10 years of friendship supporting them, WHATMORE has invested in that friendship by transforming it into art. Reflecting on the journey, the band blends shared community while still maintaining separate identities.

“We learned our roles,” Cisco said.

We've been friends for a long time, but it's different when you're working with the homies. So, we learn how to make shit happen while still keeping the love,” Sebastiano said.

With a discography of prominent instrumentals blended with tactical lyricism, WHATMORE embraces fusion, often sonically stepping into other genres, most apparent on “jenny’s” and “2000’s Pop Punk Rnb.”

According to the group, “nothing's off limits. We're gonna step into every sound, every genre. It's gonna be great.”

As the group rapidly gains attention, they demonstrate persistence in action, advice they’d give those young boys from LaGuardia is to simply, “keep taking what's yours and be patient and lock in.”