By: Hallie Horton
Whitacre! Whitacre! Whitacre! I’ve been confidently introducing this band to friends as “White Acre” for about three weeks now, so pretty, pretty please allow me to save you some trouble when I let you know that, much to my surprise, there is only one “e” in “Whitacre.” Now that we’ve covered the basics, let me introduce to you one of Denver’s most beloved Americana bands.
On rhythm guitar and vocals, we have (drum roll, please)…Paul Whitacre. Next is Chase Perry is on banjo and lead guitar, followed by Mark Cunningham taking the lead on the drum and keys. Last but definitely not least, we have and Joe Fishel on bass guitar. These men have come together to create a discography rife with notes of folk, rock, indie, and alternative, creating a distinctive sound they so lovingly refer to as “Mountain Rock.”
Whitacre has snagged the attention of Denver Westword Magazine, Denver’s 303 Magazine, and American Songwriter, to name a few. They’re a hot commodity, and for good reason; it’s easy to listen to and talk about music with a clear purpose. That kind of work is magnetic. The Grateful Web’s One In a Million Media had the opportunity to sit down with Whitacre in November 2019 and when asked about their mission, they said, “We have a burning desire to tell a story that isn’t often told in the music industry today. One of redemption and restoration. We want to reassure the broken-hearted that there is hope, we want to show the invisible that we see them and that they matter. We believe that doesn’t only happen in lyrics but in a melody as well. We believe in the power of music and that it is used to soften and heal hearts.” Oh, man. Anyone else swooning over here?
It’s clear to see (or, hear) when listening to Whitacre’s music exactly how they’ve managed to sell out shows performing alongside other rock stars such as Mt. Joy, Wild Child, and Birdtalker at venues including, but not limited to, the infamous Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. It will come as no surprise that Whitacre is sitting pretty at a whopping 400,000 streams (people! that is nearly half a million streams!) on Spotify alone.
I first heard of Whitacre from my dear friend Hannah Harder, founder of 3am Conversations (a community for people looking for a safe space to practice the art of being vulnerable) and costar in the band’s music video for their latest release, “Here, Again.” This track ties in swimmingly with both Harder and Whitacre’s missions by helping listeners feel seen and less alone during the tough times. I’d hate to spoil the music video for you, so do yourself a big one and catch the link below for a peek at your new favorite Mountain Sound.
Watch the “Here, Again” Video: