Rand Whitt
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Rand Whitt

Band Americana Singer/Songwriter

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"Now On Tour Review"

3 and 1/2 of 4 stars

Bynum, NC's Randy Whitt has taken a large spoonful from the "radical departure elixir" on his latest self-released album, We've Had Some Trouble. In the past, Whitt's musical style has usually been associated with cold beer and hot honky-tonk, but lately he's run the gamut from bluesy laments to thoughtful singer-songwriter material. Instead of barroom belting, and with the addition of voice lessons, Whitt's singing is controlled yet fluid, a fact referenced in his album credit Thank You's.

Co-produced with Jesse Olley, Whitt has assembled not only his usual backing band, The Grits, but with the addition of extra horns and quite punctual harmony vocals from the likes of Eck McCanless, Sonar Strange, Laura Bobis and the unmistakable baritone of the Two Dollar Pistols' John Howie, Jr., the album is a rather impressive line-up of local musicians.

Additionally, Whitt has a thing for album length. Most new releases now average about 13 songs in length, and although some are quite extraordinary, many full-lengths are simply filled with drivel. There are absolutely no filler songs on We've Had Some Trouble, and that may be attributed to its nine-song length. The far above-par cuts include the instant favorite "Pretty Dress," the harmonica-laden "Ain't Done Nothin' Wrong," a jazz-beat heavy "Pray For Me Someday" and the beautiful opener "(The) Look In Your Eyes," a more acoustic, yet similar themed, "Ramblin' Man." - NowOnTour.com


"A Nice Sound Indeed"

I didn't know what to expect from Randy's latest music. Having listened to him live several times over the years, I remember thinking that the voice would just never cut it. It was unrefined and somewhat out of control. But I was amazed at the way Randy has harnessed control of the imflections and tones of his sounds. You could compare him to Dylan...or you could compare him to Richie Valens: He has a sound that seems a little out of place for its time as compared to what else is out there. But history will lean kindly on the sound. Randy's music has a quality that is uniquely his... distinct, a bit ethereal, and even soothing..... It's definitely worth listening to..... - Phoenix Circle Recording


"Art For Artsake"

"This CD sat on my shelf for a week before I got around to listening to it. You know, the whole busy life thing. But then, I listened to it, and then again, and then again. This is not a work intended for the consuming masses. This is a work intended to get what's in Randy Whitts head into yours. For lack of a better way to say it, it's Art...with the capital "A". But it's hard. No song is going to go the way you expect it to go. No guitar is going to pickup where you think it will. It's hard and dense, and completely noncommercial. This is what happens when an artist expresses himself. This is a new genre. So, listen to it. Then listen to it again. And again." -Andrew Parsons - Andrew Parsons


"Different Shade Of Twang"

"You'll find two flavors of Randy Whitt on stage: one leads the honky-tonking Randy Whitt and the Grits, and the other occupies the rootsy and rugged end of the singer-songwriter spectrum, equally comfortable backed by a pedal steel or a laid-back horn section. Same talented dude, different shades of twang." - Rick Cornell Independent Weekly - Independent Weekly


"Rick Cornell review"

Randy Whitt
We've Had Some Trouble
(self-released)
This third release from Pittsboro-raised, Chapel Hill-based Randy Whitt is an album of subtle mood swings and quietly memorable lines, a chronicle of angels, prodigal sons and other wanderers (wanna-be and otherwise) who split the difference between shadowy and saintly.
Like its title, We've Had Some Trouble is understated by design, with Whitt's calming tonic voice turning extra expressive only when it makes perfect sense to do so. Those moments--along with supporting cameos from members of Shark Quest, The Old Ceremony and Two Dollar Pistols on accordion, cello, Fender Rhodes and the like--offer enough in the way of dynamics to keep it from being a one-mode affair.
"(The) Look in Your Eyes" confidently sets the stage with horns, pedal steel and ghost-of-Charlie-Rich piano taking turns stage-whispering in the background. Headphones are recommended for maximum detection and appreciation of the layers, ideally on a stormy night like the one on which the song's protagonist hits the road.
Indeed, it's a serious songwriter who depicts a sunset as the funeral of the sun. But the key line is a recurring one from the harmonica-launched "Pretty Dress." "Standing all alone in your pretty dress/ It's an image I'll never forget," promises Whitt, backed by guest harmonies from John Howie Jr. The pretty dress part rings particularly meaningful: You can look at We've Had Some Trouble as a singer/songwriter album gussied up with pearl snap buttons and a tasteful cowboy hat.
To draw a parallel between the bottled-up emotions on the record and the medicine bottle shown on a window sill in the CD booklet would be a bit opportunistic. But the "Yee-haw!" that Whitt lets fly a full minute after the album-closing "Suit of Clothes" fades out does sound like someone finally tearing the lid off.
"I'm a man with dreams who hates his own songs," Whitt sings on "(The) Look in Your Eyes." That should be proof enough that the song isn't autobiographical. The way the contents of We've Had Some Trouble are caressed and gently coaxed to gorgeous life is clearly Whitt's labor of love. --Rick Cornell
- Independent Weekly


Discography

So It Goes: LP
Alone Again: LP
We've Had Some Trouble: LP
Using a Radio Promotion company from Chapel Hill, NC, called cool fishing. Just started the campaign of a 100 college radio stations, and will start to work Americana Radio in the Fall.

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Bio

A singer-songwriter from the American Southeast, Randy Whitt combines all of that region's root elements of country, gospel, and blues to produce a unique sound that is on one hand wistful and lonesome, and on the other jubilant and light. Randy stays within these established genres, while sounding fresh and original. Avoiding formulaic writing, Randy manages to retain continuity throughout his work. His voice and guitar provide the consistent thread for the many moods that he conveys.

"You'll find two flavors of Randy Whitt on stage: one leads the honky-tonking Randy Whitt and the Grits, and the other occupies the rootsy and rugged end of the singer-songwriter spectrum, equally comfortable backed by a pedal steel or a laid-back horn section. Same talented dude, different shades of twang." - Rick Cornell Independent Weekly

After finishing a national tour, including stops in California, Texas, Alabama, and Hawaii in support of his independently released album So It Goes, Randy followed the same path in supporting the follow-up Alone Again. Both Albums achieved success with very little promotion other than touring and playing live as much as possible. Now he is releasing "We've Had Some Trouble".

The Sound Of Things to Come

"This CD sat on my shelf for a week before I got around to listening to it. You know, the whole busy life thing. But then, I listened to it, and then again, and then again. This is not a work intended for the consuming masses. This is a work intended to get what's in Randy Whitts head into yours. For lack of a better way to say it, it's Art...with the capital "A". But it's hard. No song is going to go the way you expect it to go. No guitar is going to pickup where you think it will. It's hard and dense, and completely noncommercial. This is what happens when an artist expresses himself. This is a new genre. So, listen to it. Then listen to it again. And again." -Andrew Parsons

During the last two years in Chapel Hill, Randy has picked a top-notch backing band from the bevy of musical talent that the town offers. This lineup, featuring piano, harmonica, bass, and drums, provides Randy with a solid backdrop and is now preparing to accompany him on tour. Randy and his band have been featured performers at festivals all over the east coast and have received substantial acclaim in a short amount of time. He has played at the Grassroots festival in Ithaca, N.Y., the Shakori Hills Festival in Silk Hope N.C., the World Beer Festival in Durham, N.C., and many others. Randy has opened or shared the stage with the likes of: Bobby Bare, Jr., Southern Culture On the Skids, Los Lobos, Patty Loveless, The Avett Brothers, Del Mcoury, and the Two Dollar Pistols. With enthusiastic touring and playing within N.C., Randy continues to gain notoriety and fans all over the country.