William Elliott Whitmore To Release New Album
William Elliott Whitmore has never sounded more urgent than on his new album, Radium Death, which arrives March 31st.
Known for the sparse, haunting qualities of the mostly solo recordings he refers to as “roots-folk music,” in which his voice is often accompanied by little more than a banjo or acoustic guitar, Whitmore began writing songs last year with some changes in mind. “I purposefully went into it wanting to make a little bit of a departure, sonically, using an electric guitar a little bit more and adding more instrumentation, more full-band type stuff,” he says. The expanded new sound can be heard on the opening track “Healing To Do” premiering today courtesy of Noisey: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/premiere-william-elliott-whitmore-healing-to-do-listen
Raised on a family farm in Iowa and inspired by the insurgent sounds of The Jesus Lizard, Bad Brains and Minutemen, Whitmore sketched out the new songs between feeding animals and tending crops. Each week he traveled two hours to Flat Black Studios in Iowa City, built and operated by his cousin and producer, Luke Tweedy. Together, where they would rehearse, record and build songs, sometimes welcoming other musicians to play live on tracks.
Energized by this diversifying, and also given the space to pair a patient sense of craft with the usual punk rock spirit to which Whitmore has always paid homage, the songs on Radium Death hum with an exigent electricity—whether amplified or not. They also present a cohesive look into those recurring Whitmore themes of respect, protection, sustenance and survival.
Whitmore will be celebrating the release of Radium Death with two record release shows in Iowa City (3/28) and Minneapolis (3/29). He will then hit the road for a Northeast & Midwest run in April that includes an appearance at Middle of the Map Fest in Kansas City, MO, followed by a West Coast run in May (all dates listed below). Supporting William on most of these dates will be the Denver’s own Esme Patterson.
WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE On Tour
Sat Mar-28 Iowa City, IA @ The Blue Moose*
Sun Mar-29 Minneapolis, MN @ The Turf Club*
Tue Apr-07 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Wed Apr-08 Nashville, TN @ Exit In
Fri Apr-10 Washington DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
Sat Apr-11 Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
Sun Apr-12 Boston, MA @ Arts at The Armory
Mon Apr-13 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Wed Apr-15 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox
Thurs Apr-16 Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi
Fri Apr-17 Madison, WI @ The Majestic Theatre
Sat Apr-18 Columbia, MO @ Rose Music Hall Outdoors
Sat Apr-25 Kansas City, MO @ Middle of the Map Fest*
Fri May-15 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Sat May-16 Fort Collins, CO @ Hodi's Half Note
Wed May-27 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Thu May-28 Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
Fri May-29 Santa Ana, CA @ The Constellation Room
*No Esme Patterson