William Elliott Whitmore Signs to Bloodshot Records

Singer, songwriter, and solo performer William Elliott Whitmore will be returning to music with a new album, and a new tour soon, and it will not be on his previous label ANTI, it will be with insurgent country label Bloodshot Records. Announced on Tuesday (4-24) the Iowa native and 20-year music veteran has signed to the Chicago-based label, with a new album on its way soon.
“I remember going to the record store and buying Neko Case, Sadies, and Whiskeytown 7-inches back in the late 1990s,” says Whitmore about the signing. “I’ve been a fan of Bloodshot as a label for a long time, so when the opportunity came up to be on their 20th anniversary comp a few years ago, I jumped on it. Shortly after that they put out a split 7-inch with Esme Patterson and I, thus bringing my awareness and connection with the label full circle through the power of vinyl. Now I’ve joined their ranks officially, and I’m excited to see where this relationship takes us.”
Before the recent emergence of throwback folk country blues performers such as Colter Wall and Shakey Graves, William Elliott Whitmore was one of the originals to hit the open road as a one man band with a bass drum and arsenal of stringed instruments, singing his heart out in a billowy low register that awakened the ghosts of American music’s past. Since he was too folk for country, and too blues for folk, Whitmore often found himself opening for punk bands, and spreading the roots music gospel to new converts.
Whitmore released a few records for Southern Records starting in 2003 before being picked up by the highly-regarded ANTI records and releasing Animals in the Dark in 2009. In 2015 he released his latest record Radium Death to positive reviews. Along with music, Whitmore works as a farmer in Iowa on the same farm he grew up on and living in the same house. While tending the farm, he writes songs on the kitchen table, and tours between crop cycles.
More information on the new album when it is made available.
April 24, 2018 @ 6:54 pm
This is cool. I have been a fan since before he signed with Southern – saw him open with a few songs before Murder By Death went on many,any years ago. Those first 3 albums of his are beyond fucking awesome. Would love to see him tour with Biram.
April 24, 2018 @ 7:25 pm
Awesome. That marriage makes sense. I remember being so shocked when I found out he was a white man!
April 24, 2018 @ 7:44 pm
Reminds me of Richie Havens.
April 24, 2018 @ 9:41 pm
This is fantastic news! Perfect lable for him Great music from that guy. ????
Also, this is unrelated gossip but apparently Miranda Lambert and Evan from Turnpike are cozying up together…i only post this silly gossip because how badass would it be for them to do an album together?
April 24, 2018 @ 10:59 pm
Great news!
April 26, 2018 @ 9:10 am
Why aren’t more people ignoring this? Who is this guy anyway? I’m waiting for another article about Garth.
April 25, 2018 @ 4:19 am
Watching him play “Dry” live with just him and that banjo in and old bar that no longer exists in DC is still one of my all time concern going experiences. Don’t think the crowd made a peep. His voice is just outta this damn world.
April 25, 2018 @ 5:24 am
“While tending the farm, he writes songs on the kitchen table, and tours between crop cycles.”
Now there’s a writer worth checking out!
April 25, 2018 @ 5:46 am
Start with Song of the Blackbird
April 25, 2018 @ 7:07 am
Listened, nice. I’m a sucker for banjos that sound like an old wire fence in a field.
FWIW, I’m always skeptical of young men who sound “old.” I’m suspicious they’re trying to sound like Taj Mahal, the hero, borrowing the heroic, the history, the dues. If Whitmore can sing:
the needle raised up, and the record stopped spinning
but the music kept going
we don’t want the music to be zombie or confected in a lab. We want it to be full of real life. This Whitmore guy has been living out on the farm. I almost believe him when he sings this:
Underneath the black locust tree
There’s a shady place that waits for me
but black locusts don’t throw a ton of shade. At least not as much as, say, walnut. And when he sings:
The summer wind is blowing westward
Over the field of fresh mowed hay
Most winds blow, like the weather, from west to east. Ok, details, whatever. But every detail counts when you say to the world, like Whitmore, “I’m from this specific here.” Let’s hear the land speak. I want him to trust the power of his details.
Anyway.
April 25, 2018 @ 6:16 am
I first heard this guy on the Red Dead Redemption video game. I heard a song play at the end of that game and said man this guys voice is unreal! It was Whitmore of course, his voice worked so well in that universe.
April 25, 2018 @ 9:16 pm
Yes! His rendition of “Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie” was my introduction to his music as well.
April 25, 2018 @ 7:12 am
Unrelated to this article, I just read the article from the link scroll above about Guitar Center and Gibson possibly facing bankruptcy. The article noted that many younger musicians are getting into non-guitar driven music which I knew to be the case, but not to the point where these companies would be facing bankruptcy. That’s insane. I definitely want to delve into this further. Are other guitar companies suffering? I always wanted a Gibson but I’ve never been able to justify buying a new or even used one when there are so many great playing guitars that you can get in the $500-$1000 range. I assume I’ll buy a Gibson Les Paul or Explorer one day but at 36, I still haven’t had the cash to get one.
April 25, 2018 @ 7:32 am
Guitar makers aren’t going bankrupt because of me, that’s for sure!
Maybe the market is just too flooded? A lot of people would rather spend their $3K+ on a custom made guitar by a smaller company, and most of us (me included) just don’t have that kind of cash lying around, so we go with cheaper options.
Also, as far as I know, Gibson doesn’t make a t-style?
April 25, 2018 @ 7:56 am
I don’t think Gibson has a T-style guitar. I just saw a Schecter PT Apocalypse which looks like it’s geared toward metal players which doesn’t seem right. Although the guitar looks nice, I don’t think of that style when I think of heavy music.
April 25, 2018 @ 10:16 am
3k for a custom made boutique guitar? I could only wish
April 25, 2018 @ 6:30 pm
Gibson and guitar center have been struggling for awhile now. Research guitar center ownership, it is interesting.
Gibson is owned by a big conglomerate and they made a lot of stupid mistakes including getting into software and robotic tuners. True that guitar based music is down, but there is also a lot of good makers giving them a run for their money like Waterloo / Collings, etc. in the American made market, and of course tons of outsourced company’s with really cheap pricing. Martin is still family owned since 1833.
Gibson has never made Teles.
April 26, 2018 @ 7:24 am
” I always wanted a Gibson but I’ve never been able to justify buying a new or even used one when there are so many great playing guitars that you can get in the $500-$1000 range”
Its long been known that many of these ‘lower end ” guitars boast the same or better quality materials and workmanship as the early Gibsons and Fenders . And , of course , many are made by these companies . Techs who’ve worked on my stuff over the years have always said ” swap out the pickups and this is a better built instrument ” in reference to the 500 axes .
If you NEED the Gibson name to be happy ….pay 3-4 times the cost ……..And yes …it may work resale-wise . If you are about playability , quality and YOUR sound , that over-priced ”legendary” stuff is as hit and miss as ever and often needs set-up work on top of costs
April 26, 2018 @ 1:39 am
all i want to hear is the songs he did for Hillgrass’s Tribute to J.R. & R.L. album. been PATIENTLY waiting for that. and if the music he does for Bloodshot sounds anything like he did for Anti-, i’ll pass. that Middle Western record was pretty weak too.