Chris Strong

When you first hear the world-weary and time-worn music of William Elliott Whitmore, you won’t believe that he’s merely 31 years old. Though far younger than his voice suggests, Whitmore has lived and seen more than many twice his age, and his music balances the experience of touring and traveling with more homegrown notions learned on the Lee County, Iowa, farm where he’s spent much of his life. It’s Whitmore’s constant blending of old and new that makes his music so unique, just as his heavily tattooed arms reveal a musical history grown as much from hardcore punk as from folk and blues. In this session, William Elliott Whitmore performed five new songs from his recent release, Animals In The Dark on Anti- Records, and talked about the inspiration behind it. You can watch three videos from the session here and download one more, of “Old Devils,” by subscribing to KEXP’s Video of the Week podcast.

Hell Or High Water:

Hard Times & interview:

Lifetime Underground: