It’s likely fitting that Shannon Whitworth’s new album is titled “Water Bound.”
After all, her inspiration for her lush songs is often found when she’s at home in North Carolina, near an area where three rivers merge. Sometimes the view sparks her imagination. Other times a phrase in an old journal brings out her music. But whatever the catalyst, the site of inspiration is generally the same.
“I started out more in a bluegrass-based band,” Whitworth said of her early days with the Biscuit Burners. “This music has an almost scenic quality to it with the instrumentation … which evokes more of what I have been trying to say.”
That sound is more Americana with hints of blues, jazz, rock and folk. You’ll hear plenty of nods to the likes of Whitworth’s most profound influences — Paul Simon, James Taylor, John Prine, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Although the music — filled with slide guitar, mandolin, banjo and pedal steel — is clearly a signature sound, her husky, expressive voice is what makes Whitworth’s songs truly shine. For her part, Whitworth credits producer Neilson Hubbard for helping her realize the sound she had long wanted to record.
“We really had a blast,” Whitworth said of working with him. “He reminded me a lot of Jack Black. We really hit it off [over the year we worked together] and the chemistry was there. It was an instant connection.”
