In anticipation of their debut full-length album, the Denver-based band Whitacre is touring across the United States, with a stop at Valley Bar March 14.
The quartet consists of Paul Whitacre as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Mark Cunningham on drums, bassist Joel Fishel and Chase Perry on the banjo.
Their almost folk-like collective of instruments turns into what the band has labelled mountain rock, or an assembly of different genres leading to one completely new version of rock music. Throughout their new album, Whitacre puts a rock-n-roll twist on a bluegrass sound with heavy drums and blusey melodies.
Their sound doesn’t fit into simply hard rock or folk, but instead takes a combination of the two with a bit of Americana and punk to make their newfound genre.
In following this new genre, Whitacre noted that the path to success could be longer and harder, but believes that producing music true to them is worth the extra hardship.
“If you go with what’s popular and what people pay to hear, you can assume that there would be a quicker line to success,” Whitacre said.
It wasn’t the want for success that sparked the sound of the band, Whitacre explained that in a way the sound found them. They experimented with their sound and their new mountain rock is what stuck with them.
According to Whitacre, the band’s frontman, this mountain rock band became an idea nearly six years ago when he was a solo artist in Indiana.
He had always wanted to be in a band, and when he connected with Cunningham together they formed the four man group.
The group set out on a journey to make music that they hope “reassures the heartbroken” and “shows the invisible that they see them and they matter.”
Their music, that follows a path of redemption and restoration according to Whitacre, comes from a place of personal experience and triumph over mistakes and misfortunes. He cited faith as a large portion of their lives, but hopes that people of any background can listen to the music and share the same sentiments the group had in creating the album.
“It doesn’t really matter what somebody believes or what their background is because that is just what has worked for us personally,” Whitacre said.
Whitacre explained that each band member has their own day job outside of playing music, and that to them, this tour is like an escape and opportunity to “get on the road and play music every night.”
“It’s a really good reset button, it re-energizes us, makes us more creative and gets us dialed musically more so than anything else can,” he said.
According to the lead vocal, fans and locals can expect a show in which they can enjoy the music while also enjoying an atmosphere where rather than just seeing a band, people are joining a community of music lovers.
Now, the band has achieved their dream of playing at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and are less than two months from the release of their first full-length album “Seasons.”
The album consists of 10 tracks ranging from slower songs to high-paced rock songs with a mix of banjo. Fans and locals alike can purchase the CD at the concert before it’s released to the public on April 17.
The band will be playing at the Valley Bar at 7 p.m. on March 14. Tickets can be purchased on the Valley Bar’s website for $10.
Contact the reporter at haobrien@asu.edu
