Whitacre the band began after Paul Whitacre, who played on his own for five years, met banjo player Chase Perry backstage at a show in Denver, the two not knowing then that a borrowed tuner would be the start of a new friendship, and eventual collaboration. Paul and drummer Mark Cunningham met during a game of pick-up basketball, eventually deciding they would get together for an impromptu jam session. With Chase invited to the party, Whitacre was born.
The three-piece released a five-song EP, Within The Mountains’ Shadows in 2018. They’ve amassed half a million streams on Spotify and have sold out shows with Mt. Joy, Wild Child and Birdtalker, playing legendary venues including Red Rocks and The Bluebird Theater.
The three share a lifelong love of music; Chase began playing drums as a kid, later adding guitar and harmonica to the mix, and quickly after that banjo. Accordion, piano, theremin, mandolin, and upright bass have all been interests since. Mark began studying classical piano beginning at age five and added percussion/drumline to the mix, but ultimately found that the need to rock slightly outweighed a passion for the impressionist era. Paul picked up the guitar as the perfect pair in his burning need to tell a story.
Within the ten tracks on the band’s forthcoming album Seasons (due out in early 2020), the Denver-based band creates what they call mountain rock, combining their separate influences of folk, Americana, and punk for a project that would fit in well next to The Avett Brothers, Susto, Caamp or Judah & The Lion on any playlist, full of as much introspection as it is rollicking guitars.
Seasons was recorded at Third & James in Denver, Colorado, and marks the first time the band recorded in a big space. With a new array of resources at their fingertips, they were offered a creative freedom to experiment with new ideas.
Today Glide is excited to premiere “Peach”, one of the standout tracks on the upcoming album. “Peach” is a love song that captures the ups and downs of a relationship, and the promise of holding on no matter what. With the banjo offering a rustic contrast to the rocking electric guitar, the band taps into an infectious folk rock sound. Vocal harmonies shine alongside crashing drums for a big sound that, while rooted in folk and Americana, feels more like the kind of anthemic rock and roll that could fill large venues with pumped up fans.
Paul Whitacre shares some insight on the inspiration behind the tune:
“All of us in the band feel like we’ve ‘outkicked our coverage’ with the girls we’re dating/married to. Almost immediately upon getting married, I noticed this voice in my head saying that my wife would be better off with someone else. That’s a really easy lie for me to believe. ‘Peach’ is a promise to my wife and a reminder to myself that no matter how bad the days get, we’re sticking to the promise we made.”
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Photo credit: Kailey Sullivan
