William Elliott Whitmore is an American blues singer and musician from Lee County, Iowa. He is associated with folk, blues, alt-country and Americana, and his performances centre on banjo or guitar with vocals, though he sometimes sings a cappella. He is also rooted in the hardcore punk scene.

Background

Whitmore is born in Iowa and comes from a horse farm along the Mississippi River in Lee County. His songs often draw on rural life, land, personal loss, death and hard-living stories. His voice is often compared with the lower-register styles of Tom Waits and Johnny Cash.

Recordings and labels

He records several albums on Southern Records and later becomes part of the Anti- label roster. One of his Southern Records releases, Ashes to Dust, includes songs built around themes such as displacement, suicide, hobo life and his father’s story. Earlier limited-edition self-titled material also includes “Diggin My Grave.”

Live work and collaborations

Whitmore tours with artists and bands including Chris Cornell, City and Colour, The Pogues, Murder By Death, Clutch, Lucero, Converge, Red Sparowes, Modern Life is War, Frontier Ruckus, Frank Turner and The Low Anthem. His live performances are described as intense and closely tied to the emotional weight of his songs.

Selected release

Animals in the Dark reaches number 50 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in 2009.

Style and influences

His work combines basic acoustic instrumentation with a rural, direct storytelling approach. Alongside comparisons to older American roots singers, he is connected to punk culture through his recognition of Bad Religion.