The Whitmore Sisters: Ghost Stories
Photo by Vanessa Dingwell
“We’ve had a lot of loss, a couple of dead ex-boyfriends, and a lot of friends that have passed on – and writing about the grief, especially working towards this record, there’s been a lot to consider,” Bonnie Whitmore says about Ghost Stories, the new record with her big sister, Eleanor, which releases Friday, January 21st, on Red House Records.
Bonnie addressed some of those losses with her Last Will & Testament album released in 2020, with songs that memorialized Austin musical legend and her bass guitar mentor George Reiff and former boyfriend Chris Porter who was killed in a tragic crash while on tour. Her relationship with Porter is the subject of “The Ballad of Sissy and Porter.” “It’s all the crazy stories he used to tell,” she says. Another great love of Bonnie’s life, Justin Townes Earle, is paid tribute in the song “Greek Tragedy.” “He was a star who burned out too quickly,” Bonnie continues. “He was so much like his Dad, who paved the way. The answers were in front of him, but he had to make those mistakes for himself.” The lyrics of “Friends We Leave Behind” sum up the feelings of loss so well: “Everybody dies / Suffering around / Love can pull you through / And fear can take you down / The friends we leave behind / It’s what defines us / How many will there be / When we’re gone?"
With all the talk of death and loss, one might be afraid Ghost Stories is a collection of maudlin tear-jerkers droning on and on. Not in the least. This album absolutely shimmers with the vibrant harmonies of the fiery Sisters Whitmore and carried by the excellent production of Chris Masterson, Eleanor’s husband and partner in The Mastersons. He adds guitar work throughout and gives each song an identity providing the record with a truly special sound. The Whitmores have writing credits on every song but two in the collection. The bouncy pop track “Big Heart Sick Mind” was written by Aaron Lee Tasjan, and the girls cover “On the Wings of a Nightingale” which was written by Paul McCartney for the Everly Brothers. “We did want to nod to the influence of sibling harmony. Will Rigby (dBs) had sent Chris and I the demo Paul McCartney had made for the Everlys.” “In addition to McCartney’s songwriting,” Bonnie says, “his bass-playing was a huge influence on me.”
“We have all these things that make us us,” Bonnie says. “Our mother was an opera singer; our father was a folk singer.” Laughing, Eleanor joins in. “In our family you sing, you play an instrument, and fly.” Trained to fly as girls by a father who was an accomplished Navy Air carrier pilot, they were exposed to all sorts of aviation possibilities. “We’re both seasoned musicians,” Eleanor offers. “We’ve made so many records on our own, for ourselves and with other artists. I’m classically trained. When we come together, we understand each other, because we have so much shared musical vocabulary.”
Now they share Ghost Stories which will add to the legacy of Bonnie and Eleanor Whitmore and their vast legacy of performances both on their own and with a variety of other musicians. Soaring harmonies and caring arrangements make this record a delight.
Find out more about The Whitmore Sisters here:
