This week’s pick is William Elliot Whitmore, and if you love a good banjo and a voice that sounds like a gravel road, then this is the music for you. He is a fellow Iowan, and has been a personal favorite of mine for some time. My wife introduced me to his music way back before we were married, and I instantly fell in love with his sound. He can rock and he can sing a slow song, and his voice just brings so much soul to all of it in a way that just makes it feel like he lived through the things he sings about.
Older songs like “Midnight,” “Diggin’ my Grave,” and “Lift My Jug” are still staples for me. And his 2011 record “Field Songs” is still a go to that I listen to quite regularly. The title track on that record is a top ten song all-time song in my opinion. “Write this down and don’t forget, that the best of times they ain’t happened yet.” Words to live by.
Whitmore’s “I’m With You” is just a brilliant record, and this one is right up at the top of my favorite albums of 2020. There isn’t a dud on here, but I gotta call out “Solar Flare, and the whole idea it represents in telling your loved ones you love them as much as possible, and don’t wait for a funeral to get together with your friends. And I must say that I couldn’t have been happier when I saw that he included a version of “Black Iowa Dirt” as the last track. That song has always been a favorite of mine since I heard Brian Johannessen cover it for a Daytrotter session, and it’s so cool to hear this new version come out as awesome as it did. Also, be sure to check out his cool video for “My Mind Can Be Cruel To Me” linked below…
If you’d like to hear from Mr. Whitmore in a podcast that is almost guaranteed to make you like him more, check out Third Gear Scratch’s episode with their interview. It had me laughing and nodding throughout and left me quite inspired.
I hope you give him a listen, and jam out to some rockin’ banjo as you make something awesome this weekend!
Cheers!
Grant
Links:
Website: https://www.williamelliottwhitmore.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamwhitmore/
BUY THE RECORD: https://store.williamelliottwhitmore.com/