Whitacre call their blend of musical influences ‘mountain rock’, which feels just right when you absorb their sound. The Denver-based group are set to release their debut full-length album on 17th April and ‘Seasons’ promises to be an engaging listen. They have consciously set out to create something different. Paul Whitacre (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) says of the album: “It displays some quirky ideas, includes longer songs and more honest lyrics. We intentionally made sure that not every song on this album would fit the radio format. We stopped caring so much about that and focused on writing and recording what we bleed for.” As the group gear up for the album’s release, Americana UK caught up with them to explore the story behind the final single before the launch.
With references to family and searching for the way back home, ‘Prodigal’ has the feel of a really personal song. Can you tell us the ‘story’ of the song, from inspiration to recording in the studio?
‘Prodigal’ is a really special song to the band. This was actually the first song we wrote for ‘Seasons’ and the first time I had collaborated with the band on the writing process. I remember Chase was messing around with the banjo line during a practice one day, and without thinking about it, Mark, Chase and myself all just wrote verses for the tune.
It was a special moment for us all – one that came with a lot of honesty about the things we were struggling with at that current time. It’s cool to play the song live now and see the growth that has happened since we first wrote it.
‘Prodigal’ unintentionally set the tone for this whole album. We knew early on this was a good ending point for an album, we just needed to figure out the other songs that would tell the story well enough to get us there!
As far as recording goes, ‘Prodigal’ really stands out in my memory as well. We were really intentional about the recording process of every song on this album. Every little detail mattered to us, and we spent 100+ hours in the studio as a result. With that being said, ‘Prodigal’ was the most relaxed production-wise. We all gathered around a mic and allowed ourselves no more than 2-3 takes for our instruments and singing because we wanted to keep the raw/live vibe alive.
It’s been so fun to see fans respond to this song in a live setting. It gets crowds hyped so quickly and re-energizes us on stage. With ‘Seasons’ dropping on 17th April, ‘Prodigal’ feels like the perfect final single to get people excited to hear the whole album.
Lyrics:
Prodigal
If it’s not one thing, it’s got to be the other.
Today it’s a smoke, tomorrow it’s a lover.
I was told growing up you reap what you sow.
Now I find myself trying to hide under cover,
running from my daddy,
just me and my brothers,
and now we’re looking for the way back home.
Chrorus:
Oh, what has happened to me? Oh, how can it be? I’m finding myself feeling I might drown.
Somebody help me find solid ground.
My castle stands made out of sand,
I built it with my own two hands,
I don’t need no carpenter to set it straight.
But the storm is bringing wind and rain,
showing signs of hurt and pain,
my castle fell beneath my life’s own weight.
Chrorus:
Oh, what has happened to me? Oh, how can it be? I’m finding myself feeling I might drown.
Somebody help me find solid ground.
My brother could never quite understand
how my daddy could still call me a man,
but I think in time his eyes will see.
I was guided down a path that avoided harm,
welcomed back home into open arms,
now we’re together the way it should be.
Chrorus:
Oh, what has happened to me? Oh, how can it be? I’m finding myself feeling I might drown.
Somebody help me find solid ground.
‘Seasons’ is released 17th April
