William Elliott Whitmore to Release New Album “I’m With You”
Legacy folk country punk blues artist William Elliot Whitmore will be releasing a new record via Bloodshot Records on October 16th, 2020 called I’m With You. It’s Whitmore’s first record of original music since 2015’s Radium Death released on ANTI before the songwriter moved to Bloodshot. He also released a covers record called Kilonova in 2018 after signing to Bloodshot.
Before the recent emergence of throwback folk country blues performers such as Colter Wall and Ian Noe, William Elliott Whitmore was one of the originals to hit the open road as a one man band with a bass drum and an 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.
A couple of things make the announcement of new album I’m With You especially interesting. First, it signals that Bloodshot Records continues to be forward looking and conducting business despite some recent drama involving the label’s ownership. Secondly, the debut song Whitmore has released from the record called “My Mind Can Be Cruel To Me” has a much more country heart than most of his previous material (listen below), and finds Whitmore singing in a slightly higher register than some of his blues and folk stuff.
Fans are said to also expect plenty of William’s darkish folks song from behind the guitar and banjo as well, along with more “twangy, punked-up country” in another song called “Black Iowa Dirt.” Originally from the Hawkeye state where he was born and raised on a farm that he still lives on, Whitmore’s now a 20+ year veteran of roots music, releasing his first record in 1999, and later signing with Southern Records before being picked up by ANTI.
I’m With You is now available for pre-order, and will also be available in deluxe edition opaque grass green vinyl.
TRACK LIST:
- Put It to Use
- Solar Flare
- My Mind Can Be Cruel to Me
- MK Ultra Blues
- History
- Everything We Need
- Save Ourselves
- I’m Here
- Black Iowa Dirt
September 1, 2020 @ 6:29 pm
Sure hope it was better than his last one. It was pretty disappointing.
September 1, 2020 @ 7:14 pm
Excited for this. Been a fan since before anyone knew of him – since like ’02. I believe Black Iowa dirt was on the Hallways if Always release with Jenny Hoysten (Southern Records days). Though I have a the original recording from much further back. He has a couple other great songs that he”s held onto that leaves me scratching my head. But, can’t wait. Would love to see him live again…
September 1, 2020 @ 8:26 pm
Where the fuck is time going? 5 years since Radium? Then I got to thinking this song reminds me of something from Animals in the Dark (released 11 years ago?!). The most played Whitmore song in now my archaic iTunes is a track from a compilation – Gunfight at the High Noon Saloon Vol 1 – “That Train that Carried My Girl Away” from 15 years ago!
I’m excited about I’m with You but I feel old.
September 2, 2020 @ 7:47 am
Gunfight at the High Noon Saloon Vol 1 – that sounds like an album right up my alley. Is that still available somewhere?
September 2, 2020 @ 1:50 pm
A label rep had to drop it off on my desk. I uploaded it 15 years ago to iTunes and only 5 songs have made the cuts throughout the years. I don’t have the original CD and google brought back no results. If you are on Twitter, I’ll upload the album artwork to SCM under the same article.
The artists listed down the side of the artwork:
Ryan Bingham
Old Crow Medicine Show
Hank Williams III
Scott H. Biram
Calexico
Sara C (I can’t make out the rest)
Cory Branan (I think)
Drive- By Truckers
Whiskey Folk (Ramblers??)
Lenny & The Piss Poor Boys
Justin Townes Earle
and more…
I wish I would have kept the CD. Before SCM, these compilations are how I found new artists.
September 2, 2020 @ 4:50 am
One of my favorite live performances was watching him belt out “Dry” while playing banjo in a great, old and shitty bar in DC that’s now a bocce ball bar (so it goes.). Can’t wait for this album and really can’t wait for live music again.
September 2, 2020 @ 10:18 am
Hope he gets paid.