Hailing from a horse farm along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, William Elliott Whitmore has developed an intense love and spiritual understanding of the land, which he flawlessly conveys through all of his records. With live performances of a caliber to leave one completely stunned in silence, and albums full of songs not only from the heart but also from the heartland, William Elliott Whitmore is one of the most interesting contributions to today's diverse collection of musical ingenuity.

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A man armed only with a banjo and a bass drum can be a formidable force, especially if his name is William Elliott Whitmore. On the 2011 Anti- Records album FIELD SONGS, Whitmore uses this two-instrument attack to go straight to the source, leaving no doubt where he comes from. William comes from the land, growing up on a farm in Lee County, Iowa, at the southeastern tip of the state, between the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers. “It’s some of the most fertile land in the world,” Whitmore proudly proclaims. Still living on the same farm today, Whitmore has truly taken the time to discover where his center lies. Where he comes from says a lot about where William Elliott Whitmore is going. Whitmore’s father played the guitar and his mother the accordion; both grandparents were also musicians, and he never had to go far to discover great new music. “My parents’ record collection was amazing and inspiring,” Whitmore remembers. “It included everything from the country music of Charlie Pride and Willie Nelson to the soulful music of Ray Charles and Leon Russell. We used to listen to them and sing along loudly.” Around 15 or 16 when his hands finally got big enough to go around the guitar neck he started strumming some chords and writing lyrics. He hasn’t looked back since.

Still, there was hard work to be done while the music settled inside him. Carpentry, shoveling horse manure, working on a farm where they raised wild birds: it filled Whitmore’s days until he found himself living in Iowa City and watching other professional musicians ply their trade. After attending a few local punk rock and hardcore shows Whitmore quickly grew interested in the music, lifestyle and DIY culture that surrounded this scene. It wasn’t long before he would hit the road with a friend’s hardcore band, playing his folk songs in between the band’s sets. "It was just weird enough to work," he laughs now. "I found out how to be an entertainer and get the audience's attention. It taught me a lot." William Elliott Whitmore has been back and forth across the United States and to cities around the world. His music grows, but it also reminds him that he started in Lee County, Iowa years ago. “I’m a son of the soil,” he says proudly. “You learn you’re at the mercy of things you can’t control. You’re in the hands of the spirit. And that’s a good thing to know when you keep moving ahead.”