Will Whalen

Press
"It's just great rock and roll. "

- Greg Hartman, Grand Valley Magazine

"[T]he busiest man in the local music scene."

- Melinda Mawdsley, Entertainment Columnist at The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

"As intricate a look inside an American artist you can find. Seamlessly mixing acoustic rock and folk flavors with an educated world viewpoint and philosophies that can better any man, I highly recommend getting lost in Will Whalen's music and mind."

- Dustin G. Coren, Former Operations Manager of KMGJ Magic 93.1

What I Offer
A unique mix of acoustic rock, blues, and indie-folk. I can employ smooth guitar, raucous effects, elegant keyboard, a digital loop station and more to make a full, lush sound while maintaining the no-hassle simplicity of a singer-songwriter. I sing originals as well as covers which range from classics to current artists.

Territory
I have been touring the Western Colorado Region since 2009. I have played for cafes in Salt Lake City and private gatherings in Denver, for distilleries near Ouray and art openings in Grand Junction, where I currently live. 

Previous Performances for Charitable Organizations and Educational Events

• KAFM's "Radio Daze" and "Battle of the Bands" to raise funds for public radio.
• The American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" event hosted at Colorado Mesa University.
• "Cool Art for Warmth," an event to raise funds and awareness of homelessness.
• The Western Colorado Center for the Arts' "Spring Art Week" to educate grade-school students on the importance of artistic projects and pursuits.
• Colorado West Pride Fest 2015, supporting equality, understanding, and inclusiveness on the Western Slope of Colorado and beyond.

About Me
As I hit those awkward years after childhood but before adulthood, I never thought of music as a means to reach fame, money, or prestige. More importantly, it was a compulsion; music was a wild, graceful, dangerous beast whose name I had the privilege of learning early on. I called it often when I needed an escape, and it saved my life early and often. Even today, all of the business infrastructure I have enacted in social media, web presence, and industry research is just a means of perpetuating the internal melodies that demand my attention.

This isn't to say I didn't have other interests, but they often proved to be a branch of the same obsession. I picked up guitar to further my fixation, adopting a fast-paced fingerpicking style mixed with the jangling chords that are customary to folk singer-songwriters. I also earned a bachelors degree in writing from Colorado Mesa University, and took classes pertaining to the music industry, lyric writing, live performance, and vocal coaching. I've taught myself mixing, mastering, negotiation and marketing of events, video editing, and use of a digital looper, enabling me to generate a "full-band sound" as a solo act. All this is to say that the time I've spent learning these tasks is dwarfed by the time I've spent practicing my instruments and writing my songs. There is no such thing as a self-made musician, but I'm getting as close as I possibly can.

As I continue to fine-tune my live show, I am constantly gathering the choicest covers from every genre. From nostalgic alt-rock of the mid-90's like Counting Crows and The Wallflowers to the wild artistic stylings of Tom Waits (both pre- and post-Swordfishtrombones.) I've gleaned the folksy charm of The Devil Makes Three, Todd Snider, and the incomparable Bob Dylan, but kept myself open to the inventive spirit of bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Cake, and Beck. I've not only used this to read a room and draw unlikely fans, but distilling all of these styles down into my voice has given my originals a unique flavor I am proud to call my own.

The result of all of this is my album, "Right Away." It is not my magnum opus, and it is not the end of my path. It is a status report on what someone who starts with zero prospects and the odds squarely not in his favor can accomplish with music at his side. I am Will Whalen, and if you haven't heard of me yet, you will.