Shownotes
Summary
From 2012: Bonnie Whitmore spills the beans on her music journey, revealing how her parents essentially crafted a band with their kids as the stars. She hilariously recounts her early days, starting on the fiddle and swiftly moving to the bass, where she found her groove at just five years old. The real kicker? Bonnie reflects on the quirky interpretations of classic songs she learned from her dad, which led to a surprising moment of musical revelation when she discovered he’d been singing the Beatles wrong all along. With roots steeped in a rich tapestry of influences, from Chuck Berry to Willie Nelson, she dives into how these experiences shaped her sound and songwriting. As she gears up for a new album, Bonnie’s journey is a vibrant blend of humor, heart, and the undeniable magic of music, proving that sometimes the path to creativity is as winding as the tunes themselves.
Links
- REMINDER: IGNORE ALL LINKS OR EVENTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE FROM 2012
- Toss a few in our Tip Jar!
- Bonnie Whitmore
- Bonnie Whitmore on Bandcamp
- You may also enjoy this conversation with Brett Detar from 2012
Show Notes
Musical Roots and Family Bonds
• Bonnie shares stories from her childhood growing up in a musical family
• Talks about how her dad turned the family into a band and handed her a bass at a young age
• Remembers learning songs that her dad slightly rewrote without realizing it
• Laughs about discovering the "real" lyrics to classic tunes later on
• Highlights early influences like Chuck Berry and The Beatles and how they shaped her musical lens
The Power of Storytelling Through Song
• Explains how storytelling became central to her approach as a performer and songwriter
• Describes music as a way to connect generations and share lived experiences
• Offers a window into the kind of songs that leave a lasting emotional impact
Life in the Austin Music Scene
• Reflects on her move to Austin and how the city helped her grow creatively
• Describes the energy and support of the local music community
• Talks about what makes Austin special for working musicians
Real Talk on the Modern Music Industry
• Gets honest about the challenges of touring, making a living, and staying afloat as an artist
• Discusses how streaming has shifted the music economy and what that means for indie musicians
• Emphasizes the need for community and mutual support among artists
Creative Process and Looking Ahead
• Shares how her songwriting continues to evolve with her personal journey
• Teases future projects and new themes she’s excited to explore
• Stresses the importance of staying open to growth and change as an artist
Why This Episode Hits Home
• Bonnie brings humor, warmth, and honesty to every story
• Her experiences feel familiar, whether you're a musician or just someone who finds comfort in a great song
• The episode is like catching up with a friend who’s seen a lot, learned even more, and still finds joy in it all
Listen in for an authentic conversation with Bonnie Whitmore about music, memory, and what it really means to find your voice. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Chapters
- 00:11 - The Musical Journey of Bonnie Whitmore
- 03:59 - Discovering My Own Sound
- 08:00 - The Journey to Nashville and Songwriting Evolution
- 16:34 - The Challenges of Modern Music Industry
- 23:06 - Baking Inspirations and New Ventures
- 28:32 - The Variety Show Concept
Takeaways
- Bonnie Whitmore shares how her childhood was steeped in musical influences from her parents, shaping her artistic path.
- She humorously reflects on her early experiences with music, noting her dad's unique yet incorrect interpretations of classic songs.
- The podcast dives into her journey transitioning from family bands to discovering her own musical identity in high school.
- Bonnie discusses the intricacies of songwriting and the collaborative process that enriches her music in Nashville.
- She highlights the importance of community in music and her desire to create a variety show in Austin to foster connections.
- Bonnie's upcoming project promises a more upbeat tone, showcasing her growth as an artist while retaining a conceptual focus.
Mentioned in this Episode
- Chuck Berry
- Doc Watson
- Willie Nelson
- The Beatles
- Traveling Wilburys
- Tom Petty
- Bonnie Raitt
- Led Zeppelin
- Rolling Stones
- Muddy Waters
- Burt Mitchell
- Chris Masterson
- Amanda Shires
- T.J. McFarland
- Rich Hinman
- Hays Carl
- Graham Weber
- Chris Porter
- Some Dark Holler
- Pretty Pennies
Recommended If You Like
Country Fried Rock, Bonnie Whitmore podcast, musician interviews, creativity in music, songwriting inspiration, Texas singer songwriters, Nashville music scene, playing bass guitar, influences in music, Beatles music discussion, music production process, Empress Ashes album, music industry challenges, co-writing songs, live performance experiences, music and mental health, variety show concept, baking and music, music collaborations, indie music community
Transcript
Speaker A
00:00:00.800 - 00:00:11.200
Welcome to Country Fried Rock, where we talk with musicians to find out what inspires their creativity. Country Fried Rock Music Uncovered hey, song, It's Bonnie Whitmore.
Speaker B
00:00:11.360 - 00:00:38.570
Here's the basic deal. I think that my parents really had children so they could have musicians.
My dad needed a band, so he had two kids that he was gonna be like, all right, I'm grooming you to be the fiddle player. And you, you're the bass player.
I was, like 5 years old when I started playing instruments, and they unfortunately tried to start me out on the fiddle, and that was a really terrible idea. I moved promptly over to the bass by the age of eight. Kind of went from there. I kept on the low end.
I started to play cello after that and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker A
00:00:38.810 - 00:00:41.210
What were you playing with your parents? What kind of songs?
Speaker B
00:00:41.450 - 00:01:52.750
See, this is what I think is kind of funny. Mystic Situation is this. I felt like I grew up with my dad's interpretations of songs, the original version. So I was like, yes.
I grew up with Chuck Berry and Doc Watson and Willie Nelson, Townsend Dance, the Beatles, all these different influences, but they were always through the interpretation of my dad's, however he wanted to do the song. I remember coming to him when I was, like, 12 years old, and I was, like, totally getting into the Beatles all of my, like, junior high.
And they were like, oh, they're so freaking rad. And I put in sergeant hardcore band and start playing when I'm 64. And I'm like, dude, it's my dance song.
The first thing occurs to me, and then I'm like, yeah, that's. Let me rephrase that. And I listen to it, and I'm like, oh, my God, My dad has been playing this song wrong all of my life. It is not Sarah, it's Vera.
Totally messes up the second verse. So I came promptly home and be like, dad, you've been doing a Beatles song. You didn't tell me, and you've been singing it wrong.
And, like, how to make him correct. But it was just sort of funny to have that kind of background music instead of, like, most people remember playing records.
No, it was my dad playing guitar or my mom is in the other room singing opera. You know, that's the way we threw down in the Whitmore house.
Speaker A
00:01:52.910 - 00:01:57.950
Were the Beatles the first band that you were able to discover on your own what the original sounded like?
Speaker B
00:01:58.110 - 00:02:49.250
Well, it's hard to say if I really kind of think back. We didn't do very many road trips as kids. My dad's A pilot.
And I know that makes me sound so like hoity toity, but we didn't drive the places we flew. And I don't know if you've had any experience with a small airplane, but listening to music while in a small airplane kind of hard.
So there wasn't like road trip music going on.
But I do recall like the few times that we would go down to Corpus Christi, we'd drive down there and this old beat up Ford truck, my dad's, we would listen to the Traveling Wilburies. And then we had Tom Petty and we had Bonnie Raitt.
So even the music that I did hear, some of it was eclectic and you know, yeah, of course there was like top 40 country that would be on the radio station, but I don't really consider that, like that was just the station my dad tolerated, my mom tolerated the classical station. There was no other pop, whatever going on.
Speaker A
00:02:49.490 - 00:02:52.290
When or what did you start finding that was just you?
Speaker B
00:02:52.370 - 00:03:56.250
You know, I do think that like the Beatles was sort of my like first gold star find my own self. I was also influenced by my sister's tapes, which she had horrible taste. They like got me into erasure and see, where else did we go from there?
Then eventually, you know, Led Zeppelin was found when I was like 14 years old. Slowly all over that and, you know, it kind of led into a whole bunch of other stuff.
I mean, it took years to really get into like totally into the Rolling Stones. It took me forever to get to that point. I think I was like 24 when I decided, all right, I get it now. Yeah, I was so not a Rolling Stone fan.
I think it was because Mick Jagger had bigger lips than me. I don't know, that's not really it.
I guess once I got like the backstory and I really started getting into like the historical fact of like, you know, music, then you sort of can come to the Rolling Stones with the tone. Totally different aspect when you know that like Muddy Waters was the big influence, you know, and they were like, oh, okay, I get it.
It was black music that you were like, wanted to play. As a white British guy, you were.
Speaker A
00:03:56.250 - 00:04:03.250
Playing music that wasn't of your choosing for a really long time. At what point did you start playing stuff that was what you wanted to play?
Speaker B
00:04:03.650 - 00:05:28.000
When I was 15 years old, my dad had this friend that he really loved his music, really believed in his songwriting and everything, and he was wanting to put together a band. And what better band than his daughter? I'm 15 years old and I get as this guy his name is Brent Mitchell, bass player.
And so, like before everything was always playing songs with my dad. It's my dad's band and you know, especially as a 15 year old, he's kind of like, oh, so not cool. I was such a brat.
And then like, here was this guy and I like totally dug his music. It was beautifully written songs. There was a whole lot of imagery in it.
And, you know, especially for 15 year olds, you know, to like find something that actually does have meaning and like, it is pretty impressive to me. So I started playing with his band and then I just sort of. Then it became like. Not that I didn't love playing with my dad, mind you.
Like, I don't want to get the wrong impression. He wasn't a slave driver or anything like that, but it was definitely like, it was something that I always did.
It wasn't something that I came to and found and fell in love with. By starting to play music with other people outside of my family, I really got into, oh, maybe I do want to do music.
Because I mean, up until that point I was destined to be a rising, like actress star. But yeah, no, I started playing in local bands in the Dallas wars area through my, like high school years and that really got me into it.
And also by way of playing with the Burt Mitchell Band, I understood the crafting of songs and it made me want to do that.
Speaker A
00:05:28.240 - 00:05:29.120
So when did that happen?
Speaker B
00:05:29.360 - 00:05:34.880
I was 16 when I wrote my first song. I was 22 before I wrote one that I was proud of.
Speaker A
00:05:34.880 - 00:05:35.600
Right, sure.
Speaker B
00:05:35.840 - 00:05:45.750
It took me a while to like, really get into it and real, really feel comfortable in speaking and saying and telling the story the way that I wanted it. Hey, song. It's Bonnie Whitmore.
Speaker A
00:05:46.070 - 00:05:48.790
So once you were doing your own thing, where did that take you?
Speaker B
00:05:48.870 - 00:07:27.960
Well, I moved down to Austin. I lived down there for a number of years. I had a duo group with another girl by the name of Jamie Blythe, and we went by Bonnie and Blythe.
We were really big in hill country, you know, that was especially that time period. I was really just excited because I was completely supporting myself on music. Didn't really go to college, you know, I can't really sing that story.
I did not get along with school. We tried. It was like, dude, seriously, we're done. And I played with like bands down in Austin, Texas. I played with Susan Gibson.
I played with Ray Willie Hubbard.
Picked me up for a couple shows every once in a while or something like that, you know, I just got a chance to play with some great Texas singer songwriters. Got into putting together my own group, being Bonnie Moore instead of the bass player. And I did that for sell.
And then I kind of got this weird bug in me that I was like, okay, I'm going to go and I'm going to travel. I'm going to do all these different things. Decided I needed to make a new change, so I moved to Nashville.
I keep saying it was like five years ago, but I think it was more than five years ago now, you know, moved out there, and luckily for me, I had a guy that I was playing bass with and had moved up there, so I could at least get up there and start playing music right away. Instead, I have to really slosh around, get people to notice you. So the basement in Nashville, this is the best one.
So, like, I was playing with this guy, Mondo Signs, who I love, absolutely love. And I'm playing the guy that owns a place, Mike Grimes, whatever. He's a bass player. And so it was like, it didn't matter if I was good or not.
It was like, you were a good bass player. I will book you. And I was like, yes, awesome. This is the way I like doing things. I totally work Nashville from the back door, not the front door.
Speaker A
00:07:28.040 - 00:07:28.440
Right.
Speaker B
00:07:28.840 - 00:07:57.560
The record store and the venue combined. Those are two things you don't really find as often and as cool as they are, you know? Yeah. And really, it was the best sound.
There were plenty of other places to play in Nashville, but none of them sounded as good. Kind of the draw. And it was because it was a small place, too. It's like you got 10 people in the audience and you were like, dude, I'm rocking out.
This place is packed. Whereas when you get like 50 people but in a like 300 room, you're like, I am so lame.
Speaker A
00:07:59.210 - 00:08:00.810
So how did Nashville evolve for you?
Speaker B
00:08:00.970 - 00:08:24.490
Nashville taught me how to write a song, really write a song. And I got a chance to do some co writing.
I did a couple of songs with Amanda Shires, co wrote with another guy from Oklahoma by the name of T.J. mcFarland. And, you know, just kind of really got into it.
I say that this album that I put out, Empress Ashes, I'm extremely proud of that album for a lot of different ways, but they were all like, I'm really proud of each one of those songs.
Speaker A
00:08:25.390 - 00:08:31.550
Did you do the whole co write situations or were these more organic in that you were friends with someone? You said, hey, let's write a song.
Speaker B
00:08:31.630 - 00:09:39.040
Yeah, it was more like, hey, let's write A song. I mean, I did do a couple writing sessions with people, but we never really got that far. I mean, I did, like, sit down and I wrote a song with Mondo.
I have yet to go back there and play it again. Sometimes I don't like the song or anything like that. It just. It just didn't come.
Like, most of the time when I write with somebody, when it fits, it's just. It's so easy, and that doesn't always happen. Like, I've written a number of songs with Amanda Shires that we haven't released by any means.
Or I like them, so I put them on my record. Those two songs that we got out of it. Like, the first one that we wrote was gto, which is on my record. And it's the fun song that we wrote.
Completely hungover the next day, and it came out and there we go. We had the song. The next song we wrote together that we finished was Cowboy Lullaby. And that one we kind of had a couple.
I had some writing, she had some writing. And we just sat down and we created this song and progression and all that kind of stuff. And it really worked for that song.
Like, each song has its own individual personality, and you can't. At least I can't assume that I can write every song the same way.
Speaker A
00:09:39.280 - 00:10:03.820
Several great musician friends of Country Fried Rock generously donated songs for a free music sampler.
Download it at NoiseTrade.com CountryFridRock 19 songs to help raise awareness and money for Nucci Space, a nonprofit serving the mental health needs of musicians in the Athens, Georgia area. Find out more about new cheese@n u c I.org hey, this is Bonnie Whitmore.
Speaker B
00:10:03.820 - 00:10:05.980
And you're listening to Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A
00:10:06.220 - 00:10:09.820
What led to that looking like it was going to become a record?
Speaker B
00:10:10.460 -...
Transcripts
Welcome to Country Fried Rock, where we talk with musicians to find out what inspires their creativity.
Speaker A:Country Fried Rock Music Uncovered hey, song, It's Bonnie Whitmore.
Speaker B:Here's the basic deal.
Speaker B:I think that my parents really had children so they could have musicians.
Speaker B:My dad needed a band, so he had two kids that he was gonna be like, all right, I'm grooming you to be the fiddle player.
Speaker B:And you, you're the bass player.
Speaker B:I was, like 5 years old when I started playing instruments, and they unfortunately tried to start me out on the fiddle, and that was a really terrible idea.
Speaker B:I moved promptly over to the bass by the age of eight.
Speaker B:Kind of went from there.
Speaker B:I kept on the low end.
Speaker B:I started to play cello after that and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker A:What were you playing with your parents?
Speaker A:What kind of songs?
Speaker B:See, this is what I think is kind of funny.
Speaker B:Mystic Situation is this.
Speaker B:I felt like I grew up with my dad's interpretations of songs, the original version.
Speaker B:So I was like, yes.
Speaker B:I grew up with Chuck Berry and Doc Watson and Willie Nelson, Townsend Dance, the Beatles, all these different influences, but they were always through the interpretation of my dad's, however he wanted to do the song.
Speaker B:I remember coming to him when I was, like, 12 years old, and I was, like, totally getting into the Beatles all of my, like, junior high.
Speaker B:And they were like, oh, they're so freaking rad.
Speaker B:And I put in sergeant hardcore band and start playing when I'm 64.
Speaker B:And I'm like, dude, it's my dance song.
Speaker B:The first thing occurs to me, and then I'm like, yeah, that's.
Speaker B:Let me rephrase that.
Speaker B:And I listen to it, and I'm like, oh, my God, My dad has been playing this song wrong all of my life.
Speaker B:It is not Sarah, it's Vera.
Speaker B:Totally messes up the second verse.
Speaker B:So I came promptly home and be like, dad, you've been doing a Beatles song.
Speaker B:You didn't tell me, and you've been singing it wrong.
Speaker B:And, like, how to make him correct.
Speaker B:But it was just sort of funny to have that kind of background music instead of, like, most people remember playing records.
Speaker B:No, it was my dad playing guitar or my mom is in the other room singing opera.
Speaker B:You know, that's the way we threw down in the Whitmore house.
Speaker A:Were the Beatles the first band that you were able to discover on your own what the original sounded like?
Speaker B:Well, it's hard to say if I really kind of think back.
Speaker B:We didn't do very many road trips as kids.
Speaker B:My dad's A pilot.
Speaker B:And I know that makes me sound so like hoity toity, but we didn't drive the places we flew.
Speaker B:And I don't know if you've had any experience with a small airplane, but listening to music while in a small airplane kind of hard.
Speaker B:So there wasn't like road trip music going on.
Speaker B:But I do recall like the few times that we would go down to Corpus Christi, we'd drive down there and this old beat up Ford truck, my dad's, we would listen to the Traveling Wilburies.
Speaker B:And then we had Tom Petty and we had Bonnie Raitt.
Speaker B:So even the music that I did hear, some of it was eclectic and you know, yeah, of course there was like top 40 country that would be on the radio station, but I don't really consider that, like that was just the station my dad tolerated, my mom tolerated the classical station.
Speaker B:There was no other pop, whatever going on.
Speaker A:When or what did you start finding that was just you?
Speaker B:You know, I do think that like the Beatles was sort of my like first gold star find my own self.
Speaker B:I was also influenced by my sister's tapes, which she had horrible taste.
Speaker B:They like got me into erasure and see, where else did we go from there?
Speaker B:Then eventually, you know, Led Zeppelin was found when I was like 14 years old.
Speaker B:Slowly all over that and, you know, it kind of led into a whole bunch of other stuff.
Speaker B:I mean, it took years to really get into like totally into the Rolling Stones.
Speaker B:It took me forever to get to that point.
Speaker B:I think I was like 24 when I decided, all right, I get it now.
Speaker B:Yeah, I was so not a Rolling Stone fan.
Speaker B:I think it was because Mick Jagger had bigger lips than me.
Speaker B:I don't know, that's not really it.
Speaker B:I guess once I got like the backstory and I really started getting into like the historical fact of like, you know, music, then you sort of can come to the Rolling Stones with the tone.
Speaker B:Totally different aspect when you know that like Muddy Waters was the big influence, you know, and they were like, oh, okay, I get it.
Speaker B:It was black music that you were like, wanted to play.
Speaker B:As a white British guy, you were.
Speaker A:Playing music that wasn't of your choosing for a really long time.
Speaker A:At what point did you start playing stuff that was what you wanted to play?
Speaker B:When I was 15 years old, my dad had this friend that he really loved his music, really believed in his songwriting and everything, and he was wanting to put together a band.
Speaker B:And what better band than his daughter?
Speaker B:I'm 15 years old and I get as this guy his name is Brent Mitchell, bass player.
Speaker B:And so, like before everything was always playing songs with my dad.
Speaker B:It's my dad's band and you know, especially as a 15 year old, he's kind of like, oh, so not cool.
Speaker B:I was such a brat.
Speaker B:And then like, here was this guy and I like totally dug his music.
Speaker B:It was beautifully written songs.
Speaker B:There was a whole lot of imagery in it.
Speaker B:And, you know, especially for 15 year olds, you know, to like find something that actually does have meaning and like, it is pretty impressive to me.
Speaker B:So I started playing with his band and then I just sort of.
Speaker B:Then it became like.
Speaker B:Not that I didn't love playing with my dad, mind you.
Speaker B:Like, I don't want to get the wrong impression.
Speaker B:He wasn't a slave driver or anything like that, but it was definitely like, it was something that I always did.
Speaker B:It wasn't something that I came to and found and fell in love with.
Speaker B:By starting to play music with other people outside of my family, I really got into, oh, maybe I do want to do music.
Speaker B:Because I mean, up until that point I was destined to be a rising, like actress star.
Speaker B:But yeah, no, I started playing in local bands in the Dallas wars area through my, like high school years and that really got me into it.
Speaker B:And also by way of playing with the Burt Mitchell Band, I understood the crafting of songs and it made me want to do that.
Speaker A:So when did that happen?
Speaker B:I was 16 when I wrote my first song.
Speaker B:I was 22 before I wrote one that I was proud of.
Speaker A:Right, sure.
Speaker B:It took me a while to like, really get into it and real, really feel comfortable in speaking and saying and telling the story the way that I wanted it.
Speaker B:Hey, song.
Speaker B:It's Bonnie Whitmore.
Speaker A:So once you were doing your own thing, where did that take you?
Speaker B:Well, I moved down to Austin.
Speaker B:I lived down there for a number of years.
Speaker B:I had a duo group with another girl by the name of Jamie Blythe, and we went by Bonnie and Blythe.
Speaker B:We were really big in hill country, you know, that was especially that time period.
Speaker B:I was really just excited because I was completely supporting myself on music.
Speaker B:Didn't really go to college, you know, I can't really sing that story.
Speaker B:I did not get along with school.
Speaker B:We tried.
Speaker B:It was like, dude, seriously, we're done.
Speaker B:And I played with like bands down in Austin, Texas.
Speaker B:I played with Susan Gibson.
Speaker B:I played with Ray Willie Hubbard.
Speaker B:Picked me up for a couple shows every once in a while or something like that, you know, I just got a chance to play with some great Texas singer songwriters.
Speaker B:Got into putting together my own group, being Bonnie Moore instead of the bass player.
Speaker B:And I did that for sell.
Speaker B:And then I kind of got this weird bug in me that I was like, okay, I'm going to go and I'm going to travel.
Speaker B:I'm going to do all these different things.
Speaker B:Decided I needed to make a new change, so I moved to Nashville.
Speaker B:I keep saying it was like five years ago, but I think it was more than five years ago now, you know, moved out there, and luckily for me, I had a guy that I was playing bass with and had moved up there, so I could at least get up there and start playing music right away.
Speaker B:Instead, I have to really slosh around, get people to notice you.
Speaker B:So the basement in Nashville, this is the best one.
Speaker B:So, like, I was playing with this guy, Mondo Signs, who I love, absolutely love.
Speaker B:And I'm playing the guy that owns a place, Mike Grimes, whatever.
Speaker B:He's a bass player.
Speaker B:And so it was like, it didn't matter if I was good or not.
Speaker B:It was like, you were a good bass player.
Speaker B:I will book you.
Speaker B:And I was like, yes, awesome.
Speaker B:This is the way I like doing things.
Speaker B:I totally work Nashville from the back door, not the front door.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:The record store and the venue combined.
Speaker B:Those are two things you don't really find as often and as cool as they are, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And really, it was the best sound.
Speaker B:There were plenty of other places to play in Nashville, but none of them sounded as good.
Speaker B:Kind of the draw.
Speaker B:And it was because it was a small place, too.
Speaker B:It's like you got 10 people in the audience and you were like, dude, I'm rocking out.
Speaker B:This place is packed.
Speaker B:Whereas when you get like 50 people but in a like 300 room, you're like, I am so lame.
Speaker A:So how did Nashville evolve for you?
Speaker B:Nashville taught me how to write a song, really write a song.
Speaker B:And I got a chance to do some co writing.
Speaker B:I did a couple of songs with Amanda Shires, co wrote with another guy from Oklahoma by the name of T.J. mcFarland.
Speaker B:And, you know, just kind of really got into it.
Speaker B:I say that this album that I put out, Empress Ashes, I'm extremely proud of that album for a lot of different ways, but they were all like, I'm really proud of each one of those songs.
Speaker A:Did you do the whole co write situations or were these more organic in that you were friends with someone?
Speaker A:You said, hey, let's write a song.
Speaker B:Yeah, it was more like, hey, let's write A song.
Speaker B:I mean, I did do a couple writing sessions with people, but we never really got that far.
Speaker B:I mean, I did, like, sit down and I wrote a song with Mondo.
Speaker B:I have yet to go back there and play it again.
Speaker B:Sometimes I don't like the song or anything like that.
Speaker B:It just.
Speaker B:It just didn't come.
Speaker B:Like, most of the time when I write with somebody, when it fits, it's just.
Speaker B:It's so easy, and that doesn't always happen.
Speaker B:Like, I've written a number of songs with Amanda Shires that we haven't released by any means.
Speaker B:Or I like them, so I put them on my record.
Speaker B:Those two songs that we got out of it.
Speaker B:Like, the first one that we wrote was gto, which is on my record.
Speaker B:And it's the fun song that we wrote.
Speaker B:Completely hungover the next day, and it came out and there we go.
Speaker B:We had the song.
Speaker B:The next song we wrote together that we finished was Cowboy Lullaby.
Speaker B:And that one we kind of had a couple.
Speaker B:I had some writing, she had some writing.
Speaker B:And we just sat down and we created this song and progression and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker B:And it really worked for that song.
Speaker B:Like, each song has its own individual personality, and you can't.
Speaker B:At least I can't assume that I can write every song the same way.
Speaker A:Several great musician friends of Country Fried Rock generously donated songs for a free music sampler.
Speaker A:Download it at NoiseTrade.com CountryFridRock 19 songs to help raise awareness and money for Nucci Space, a nonprofit serving the mental health needs of musicians in the Athens, Georgia area.
Speaker A:Find out more about new cheese@n u c I.org hey, this is Bonnie Whitmore.
Speaker B:And you're listening to Country Fried Rock.
Speaker A:What led to that looking like it was going to become a record?
Speaker B:Well, there are two things that occurred.
Speaker B:I'd have.
Speaker B:I put out an album, but it was a whole bunch of songs that I slapped together.
Speaker B:And it was in a conceptual piece.
Speaker B:It was like, well, this is what I have.
Speaker B:Let's put it together and let's put it out there.
Speaker B:The reality of it is, even though I was.
Speaker B:I used to call it the record with a whole lot of heart.
Speaker B:There wasn't a lot of.
Speaker B:As far as, like, somebody who disliked me and believed in me.
Speaker B:Yeah, they buy my record.
Speaker B:But it wasn't something that was going to get, like, any type of critical acclaim.
Speaker B:And that was fine.
Speaker B:I mean, it was great for first record and, you know, get that one out of the way.
Speaker B:But Embers to Ashes was first of all, it's about a breakup.
Speaker B:Pretty easy to, like, put something together.
Speaker B:But it wasn't just about, like, okay, well, I had a breakup, so I'm gonna, like, make this all about that.
Speaker B:That's my joke.
Speaker B:I mean, I will say that it's about a breakup, but it's not just about that.
Speaker B:It's just these songs fit together.
Speaker B:And not only that, but I wanted to order them so they made sense for a song.
Speaker B:Cotton cheats Boy meets girl.
Speaker B:And then there's the sort of conclusion point of Emperors to Ashes.
Speaker B:This is gonna happen and it's a love song.
Speaker B:And then it comes into everything else.
Speaker B:And then you kind of.
Speaker B:You're left with this song that's called you're Gonna Miss Me.
Speaker B:And then the last song, love Too Sweet, is just sort of longingly looking back and missing what you had, but still okay with where you are, you know, so that it has an arc and it resolves.
Speaker B:I wanted to make a very conceptual piece to where anybody can relate to it in some way.
Speaker B:There's darker stuff on there and there's lighter stuff and there's stuff that's really dark.
Speaker B:It doesn't sound like it's up with everybody in one way or the other.
Speaker B:At least that's what I was going for and hoping for.
Speaker B:And even in the imagery of the pictures and things of the record I wanted, because just as more of a further symbolism as you did, I found this abandoned house and it was beautiful and it was trashed out.
Speaker B:And in that one picture that's in the middle of the album, and they even took the kitchen sink completely.
Speaker B:And seeing as the kitchen is such a focal point of any house, to see one so hatred and taken apart and left in ruins was the best way I felt, to symbolize what you're about to get into.
Speaker B:There's definitely some dark.
Speaker A:Yeah, you were saying the ones that are dark but don't sound dark.
Speaker B:Right, Exactly.
Speaker B:It's like all of a sudden you're tapping the toe and you're getting really into it.
Speaker B:The second listen, you know, I hear a little bit more and you're like, oh, wow, she just killed that guy.
Speaker B:And you're rooting for that in terms.
Speaker A:Of the technical aspect of this particular album, where did you choose to record and what were your thoughts on what you wanted to bring into that recording process?
Speaker B:A lot of that had to do with Chris Masterson, who, I will elaborate in saying that he is my mother in law.
Speaker B:I wanted to record a record and I wasn't sure If I wanted a full length one or if I wanted to do an ep.
Speaker B:Chris had produced my sister's record the first time that she put out called Airplane.
Speaker B:And I got to participate in that one.
Speaker B:And so I started jockeying around to see how I could do it and how I could afford to do it.
Speaker B:And it was sort of like all my buddies sort of came together to be part of this project because.
Speaker B:Not just because I think that they musically thought it was fun and it was easy.
Speaker B:And it just sort of.
Speaker B:It just happened like an organic situation where I asked Chris like, I guess a couple weeks before we went into the studio and I was able to get the studio booked because they just happened to have a date two days open and you know, all that kind of stuff, everybody came in there.
Speaker B:Nobody really knew anything much and it was perfect for that.
Speaker B:And we had to live drums and bass guitar and vocal.
Speaker B:Most of those vocals I did in the box while we were playing it all together.
Speaker B:It was more the meant to be categories than let's organize and plan this sort of thing.
Speaker B:I'm a procrastinator by my nature.
Speaker B:You know, it just works better just to like go, hey, cool, let's have a cool hang.
Speaker B:Got the studio?
Speaker B:Yeah, dude, are you available?
Speaker B:Cool, come on in.
Speaker B:This is going to be bad, you know, right?
Speaker B:Like Falcon Valdez, who's my favorite drummer that I've ever played with, George R. Amazing, you know, did all the guitar, electric guitar, 12 string guitar, baritone guitar, sang harmonies on it.
Speaker B:Like he was definitely the multi tool fastener of the group.
Speaker B:And my sister played fiddle and sang and we knocked it out of the park.
Speaker B:We got Rich.
Speaker B:Hinman was the only like real true overdub that we did on pedal steel.
Speaker A:Once it all just kind of came together, you just kind of jumped in and did it.
Speaker A:And then as that all came together fairly quickly, what was your vision for what you wanted to do with it?
Speaker B:Oh, I had big visions.
Speaker B:Unfortunately those don't always pan out.
Speaker B:So I sat on that record for a little while because I wanted to do it right.
Speaker B:I picked a really wonderful time in our like economy and basic now hatred for the compact disc to release a record, you know, especially as a new artist.
Speaker B:And so I didn't quite have the first flight and reach that I wanted it to.
Speaker B:It's still alive and I get to find new people that haven't heard every day.
Speaker B:It's been a slow kindling fire.
Speaker B:I'm hoping to go into the seas again this December with the same kind of crew get a new record put out.
Speaker B:So that's the plan that's on the horizon.
Speaker B:Hey, this is Bonnie Whitmore.
Speaker B:You can check me out online@bonniewitmore.com or you can go to Bandcamp and download each song or all songs.
Speaker B:I have tried to do things in order to get my foot in the door.
Speaker B:I mean, I'll be brutally honest about myself and say that I used to play a five string Yamaha bass.
Speaker B:I don't anymore.
Speaker B:But I showed up with a vintage 72 Electra knockoff Gibson base.
Speaker B:And they were like, dude, holy, what is that?
Speaker B:Or I have this old vintage Gibson J45 war series that was my dad.
Speaker B:If I walk in and they look and they're like, oh God, it's another female singer songwriter, right?
Speaker B:They were like, but that's a really pretty guitar.
Speaker B:So I'm gonna listen a little bit.
Speaker B:As long as I can tempt them with enough like eye candy in that aspect, then I know I can hook them whatever it takes.
Speaker B:I mean, visual eye candy by the sense of the guitar, not me.
Speaker B:I've definitely like conned my way into situations just for the instruments that I play.
Speaker B:It's weird how that is.
Speaker B:If you show up and you have together and you have.
Speaker B:Long gone are the days of the we just want to get drunk and get high and tour banned.
Speaker B:I'm not saying that it doesn't still happen, but somebody in that crew is making sure that they can get to the next gig because it's just.
Speaker B:It's so cutthroat.
Speaker B:Now, if you are going to be.
Speaker B:People are not.
Speaker A:Let's talk about that.
Speaker A:Because I mean, especially even just in the last two years, this has ramped up big time of the need to be on the road constantly.
Speaker B:Well, you have no other choice.
Speaker B:Here's the reality of like having this whole.
Speaker B:Not just the economy, I just mean the economy of the musician, music in general.
Speaker B:This younger generation that's getting into music has no concept of what music costs or how it's made or any of that type of stuff.
Speaker B:They just see it as something that's free and it's out there and they can take it whenever they want.
Speaker B:And in some ways, you know, I'm guilty of it myself, but I have more of a rounded history.
Speaker B:I'm not calling myself old here by any means, but I think I have more of an idea of the evolution of music.
Speaker B:Whereas I feel like younger generations don't necessarily.
Speaker B:If they don't know that it's how much work goes into something, they don't appreciate it, they might like it, but when it really comes down to it and they see something that is it worth it to pay cover?
Speaker B:Is it worth it to go see someone play?
Speaker B:It becomes harder.
Speaker B:And touring has become a lot more expensive to do.
Speaker B:You know, nobody goes out on the road and saying, I'm going to make money.
Speaker B:But, you know, we do it because we love it.
Speaker B:And that's the reality of, like, a lot of people nowadays.
Speaker B:If you don't love what you're doing, then you're not going to do it.
Speaker B:No one's going to sit here and haggle with the guy to buy your record for 825 because they don't love it.
Speaker B:Nobody's gonna take the $100 as the opening band that you just drove three hours to get to not love it.
Speaker A:Where has that taken you in terms of your own live performance?
Speaker A:Since this record came out, I've had.
Speaker B:Many ups and downs.
Speaker B:Feeling the forward motion and then feeling the backward motion and then just being part of the current, that is the music industry.
Speaker B:You know, I have since moved back down to Austin, not because I didn't love Nashville, but I just.
Speaker B:I was just sort of craving home.
Speaker B:And don't tell anybody, but I really love the food in Texas and I love the food in Nashville.
Speaker B:Authentic food of Nashville is princess hot.
Speaker B:Chicken and meat and threes, which are delicious, but for metabolism, I can't sit there and eat them every day.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:And then when you try to go to a fancy organic place or whatever, you pay out the nose for it.
Speaker B:And that just doesn't impress me, especially when there's no actual chef that's in the kitchen.
Speaker B:You know, I've paid more money for food in Nashville than I have in New York City.
Speaker B:And I get better quality in New York City.
Speaker B:That's where my loyalty lies as far as that goes.
Speaker B:And this is a whole other side note is that I started working at this joint as a baker at the family Wash. Love that place.
Speaker B:And kind of got it back into doing that kind of stuff.
Speaker B:And now I have my own little, like, bakery that I do and mostly do events and stuff like that, but Cool.
Speaker B:You know, I just.
Speaker B:I have a huge appreciation for food.
Speaker A:Pastries or are you like breads, cakes.
Speaker B:And pies and other stuff?
Speaker B:I do do breads, but I don't.
Speaker B:I'm mainly doing the desserts for the restaurant.
Speaker B:Like, at first they were just me, and it's like, oh, somebody just needs to make something.
Speaker B:I'm like, well, I bake, whatever.
Speaker B:So I started doing some of the desserts.
Speaker B:And it wasn't just me.
Speaker B:There was a couple other people that would do desserts on different occasions.
Speaker B:But I started really like inventing new recipes.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:And so then that's when I kind of like, okay, well this is awesome.
Speaker B:I love strawberry shortcake.
Speaker B:How can I make this better?
Speaker B:Going into all things.
Speaker B:And I started a baking blog which I have totally procrastinated and not done a whole lot on lately.
Speaker B:But like, I just did.
Speaker B:A friend of mine had a wedding at the end of June and I made the wedding cakes with the help of my mom.
Speaker B:We made my first three tier beautiful wedding cake that we were so grateful that did not fall over.
Speaker B:I do not understand when people have these terrible tasting cakes.
Speaker B:This is cardboard.
Speaker B:And you paid how much money for it because it looked pretty.
Speaker B:Oh, I will take taste over prettiness any day.
Speaker B:Not to say that my cakes aren't pretty, but I spend more time on the value of the taste of the cake.
Speaker B:Hey, this is Bonnie Whitmore and you can check me out@bonniewitmore.com you can pick up my CD embers to ashes on Bandcamp.
Speaker B:Beauty baby it type in embers dashes and you can download me.
Speaker A:What of your inventions have you ended up being like, yeah, this was awesome.
Speaker B:Well, I do.
Speaker B:Strawberry shortcake is one and I think this is one of the ones.
Speaker B:I posted the recipe on my blog and it's.
Speaker B:It's a lavender infused sponge cake with strawberries that are soaked in a caramelized orange liqueur and a cream cheese whipped cream.
Speaker B:So you make it a double layer.
Speaker B:And I did this.
Speaker B:My friend Scott Davis, he's a guitar player for Hayes.
Speaker B:Carl got married and they wanted a variety of different stuff, but that was their wedding cake.
Speaker B:So that was a really fun, really beautiful, you know, wedding cake that everybody devoured.
Speaker B:Another one, I did a take on key lime pie with meringue and using gingersnap cookies and almonds for the crust.
Speaker B:And you have to keep it in the freezer like when you bite into.
Speaker B:And it's.
Speaker B:It's so delicious.
Speaker A:It sounds fantastic.
Speaker B:That's another one of my faves.
Speaker B:And I've just done like Irish coffee cupcakes, poached meringue topping, whatever I can think of.
Speaker B:I try to come up with some new ones.
Speaker B:Right now I'm trying to figure out a really tasty vegan cake.
Speaker B:This is a challenge that I'm not sure if I'm going to make it or not, but I'm going to try, like, taking all my arsenal away.
Speaker B:It was like no eggs.
Speaker A:So you move back to Austin, which, of course is full of wonderful music all the time without ever leaving town.
Speaker A:But you're still on the road a lot, too.
Speaker B: with them for the majority of: Speaker B:Released my record last year, you know, out trying to promote and do that one upright.
Speaker B:This year has been a lot of some of it.
Speaker B:I've been out with the Mastersons, doing some shows with them, and went out with Graham Weber, who's another songwriter from Texas.
Speaker B:Right now I'm out with Chris Porter from some dark holler, and we're doing some shows together.
Speaker B:So it's sort of like roundabout.
Speaker B:I'm always crossed between playing base and doing my own stuff.
Speaker B:It's weird because I'll do one situation where I get to play on, like, Austin City Limits, and I'm just, like, not total high from it.
Speaker B:And then the next day I'm like, wait, 10 people are here and I'm not gonna make any money on this gig.
Speaker B:You know, just sort of having those.
Speaker B:There's a lot of humbling moments that I just kind of take it in turn and just keep on doing it.
Speaker B:Because, I mean, honest to God, I don't know what else I could do.
Speaker A:With the ups and downs.
Speaker A:It sounds, though, like you're reflecting on it a little bit differently than maybe even you were three or four years ago.
Speaker A:Where's that leading for you with this upcoming record that you want to have happen?
Speaker B:I'm wanting to do a Kickstarter, which I wanted to time right before the holidays to also tie in with my bakery.
Speaker B:Last year, I did 55.
Speaker A:Oh, wow.
Speaker B:For Thanksgiving and Christmas that I would make, and I would deliver them to you the whole deal.
Speaker B:This was for an area, mind you.
Speaker B:Some people, like, if they're outside of the area, they had to come meet me.
Speaker B:But for the most part, I did all of these.
Speaker B:And I'm wanting to do the same kind of thing with the Kickstarters.
Speaker B:If you spend this amount of money, I will send you pies for your Thanksgiving meal.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, I need to work out the kinks and everything, but that's definitely one of the things that I wanted to kind of do.
Speaker B:Additionally, just whatever other stuff I can think of that would entice people to want to help me raise money, because I really want to make another album.
Speaker B:I have a lot of really great Songs that I feel like need to be heard, you know.
Speaker B:Now we've got different angles of things that you can do.
Speaker B:I mean, this American music, I think is doing really great things for a lot of really good bands.
Speaker B:Here's an easy way to get your music out there.
Speaker B:And they're a very good way of tapping into the younger generations and release the record and do it right.
Speaker B:I see the band like Glossary, who's.
Speaker B:They've been together for 10 plus years or more and they still make incredible music and they still love playing it.
Speaker B:And Centromatic, all these different bands, I'm just glad to be part of it, you know, glad that I get to call these guys my buddies.
Speaker B:And I feel like we're going back in time a little bit.
Speaker B:And it's making it out to be more like Woody Guthrie on the road with his ragtag gang going and playing union shows, you know.
Speaker A:Well, actually I was thinking about that just in terms of this last little run that you did.
Speaker A:More in terms of setting up your own bill so there's an opportunity for you to play your stuff, an opportunity for you to play with another band, but that everyone kind of has different roles at different times by creating their own bill in that way.
Speaker B:I think the nice part about creating your own bill and kind of getting to know some of these other bands and everything is then you get to actually see your friends.
Speaker B:Being a musician and being in a band and everything can be really lonely.
Speaker B:Hence the reason why we write so many lonesome songs.
Speaker B:Because the road is not a place that most people love to be on.
Speaker B:It takes a special personality that likes that.
Speaker A:You said you've got a set of songs, or at least some songs already.
Speaker A:What's different about them versus the more conceptual?
Speaker A:Embers to Ashes?
Speaker B:I'm still going to make it a conceptual.
Speaker B:I'm not exactly sure what the theme is going to be.
Speaker B:I was thinking it was going to be kind of a sequel with a little bit more of a lighter side.
Speaker B:I've got a few more what you say, pretty songs, love songs.
Speaker B:I mean, even my love songs, people would argue me, well, that's not a love song.
Speaker B:I was like, well, it is my own way.
Speaker B:I mean, I wrote a song with Aaron Lee Tashton called Too Much Too Soon.
Speaker B:The whole tagline is I'm trying not to love you too much too soon.
Speaker B:I mean, it's.
Speaker B:It's that initial.
Speaker B:You really like somebody and you're just not sure what to do with it.
Speaker B:It's not going to be as Dark as Embers to Ashes, but I think it's going to be just as strong again.
Speaker B:They're all songs I'm really proud of.
Speaker B:I'll have it be just as conceptual because that's how OCD I can get about.
Speaker A:So do you have any friends that you'd like to bring in on that project?
Speaker B:Of course.
Speaker B:There's always people I want to bring on the project.
Speaker B:Getting them on it's another.
Speaker B:When you find a group of people that can put together a record, make it sound as like, high of quality that you want it to, it's hard not to want to do that again.
Speaker B:I'm really excited about going back in with Chris Masterson and, you know, hopefully getting Falcon Valdez on drums again.
Speaker B:And, you know, if I can get the crew back, it would be great.
Speaker B:That's sort of my idea.
Speaker B:It's always so much better too, when you just have your buddies.
Speaker B:And there's a few people that I think I would like to call on, but I'll just save that for the Kickstarter.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker B:You can find me online at www.bonniewhitmore.com.
Speaker B:bonnie with an IE and Whitmore with.
Speaker A:No E. I hear you on that comfort level that comes from the familiarity, but also just from being friends with.
Speaker B:Someone when you know, you worked well together.
Speaker B:Like, I played with a lot of really great drummers.
Speaker B:That's a really nice feather in my cap to get to say as a bass player when you find somebody that you really fit as a rhythm unit.
Speaker B:Falcon's just that kind of drummer, and which is why he gets to be more sought after than a lot of others.
Speaker B:And he gets to pick and choose the projects he wants to be part of, which I've been lucky enough to have him as a friend and someone who wants to play with me, so.
Speaker B:And now his head is going to grow like 10 sizes because I said this.
Speaker B:I'm getting to work with this group, Some Dark Hollers Some More, which is really great.
Speaker B:And the project that I'm part of, which is called Pretty Pennies, so it's sort of throwback.
Speaker B:It's my sister and another girl by the name of Leslie Metalson.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Out of New York City.
Speaker B:I think it was really my sister's intervention way of getting me to play the stand up bassist.
Speaker B:That's another one that, like, we don't get to play together as often as we want to, but we know we have fans that to me is more like getting back together.
Speaker B:The family band.
Speaker B:It's the three Part harmonies, the traditional songs.
Speaker B:I think if we end up doing another pretty pennies record, it'll be a lot more original stuff.
Speaker A:Really?
Speaker B:Yeah, because I've started to do some more sort of ragtimey.
Speaker B:Stylistically, writing gravitates more to that sort of thing.
Speaker B:The other thing that I am going to be putting together in Austin is a variety show.
Speaker B:A throwback kind of to a key haw or Porter Wagner show.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, I'm gonna have my friend come out and do the soft shoe, but she can't.
Speaker B:She doesn't smile.
Speaker B:She does it.
Speaker B:So it's not just gonna be music.
Speaker B:It'll be whole collection of stuff.
Speaker B:But it's another way of getting my touring friends that are coming through, you know, kind of build something up.
Speaker B:Because Austin is great in a lot of ways, and there's a lot of really good music every night of the week.
Speaker B:And they're really huge fans of, like, having residencies.
Speaker B:But the only problem is with residencies is that people come out to see that one person, and they don't really stick around for the rest of the evening.
Speaker B:It's one of those things that, like, you gotta set up and start playing as soon as possible in order to get people to, like, haven't paid their bar tabs yet who are about to walk out.
Speaker B:They're like, no, please don't leave.
Speaker B:Listen to us.
Speaker B:It's not about a camaraderie.
Speaker B:That's sort of just something that I want to employ more.
Speaker B:Like you said about building a bill and having bands that you want to play with coming together and putting together a show and combining their bands.
Speaker B:It's the same sort of thing.
Speaker B:I'm wanting to have more of a community base with other musicians in Austin.
Speaker B:So that's definitely what I have planned when I get back Texas, and I think starting in, like, October, we'll be doing our variety show.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker A:Thank you so much.
Speaker A:I appreciate it.
Speaker B:You too.
Speaker A:Take it easy, Bonnie.
Speaker B:You too.
Speaker B:Bye.
Speaker B:Bye.
Speaker A:Country Fried rock Find the full playlist from this episode on countryfriedrock.org check us out on itunes.
Speaker A:No music, Just talk.
Speaker A:Our theme music is from the full tones.
Speaker A:Our country Fried rock stinger is from Steve Soto in the twisted hearts.
Speaker A: Country fried Rock Copyright: Speaker A:All rights reserved.
