#harrison whitford on guitar i did not know this until just now. los angeles man

[greensparty]

Talking with Harrison Whitford

Last week I got to see Noah Gundersen in concert at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA. The opening act was Harrison Whitford. If you don’t know him yet, you’re going to soon. The singer-songwriter took the stage just him and his guitar. His brand of indie-folk reminded me a lot of Elliot Smith. I got to interview Mr. Whitford via email after that show. 

Harrison Whitford performing at The Sinclair, Sept. 2018

First and foremost, my son (who is almost 3) is named Harrison. Nice to meet and talk to another Harrison!

Thanks, man! I think it’s a good name. It’s a strong name. It has legs. Though I can take no credit for it.

At your show at The Sinclair the other night, you mentioned that you were born in Brookline, MA. Even though you are closely connected to Nashville, is it really special for you to perform in MA?

Not particularly. I was born in Brookline and grew up 40 minutes south of Boston until I was 9, and then I lived in New York City with my mom before relocating to Nashville towards the end of high school. Now I live in Los Angeles and it feels weird that I ever lived in Nashville because it doesn’t necessarily feel like home to me. I like being by the sea. Maybe that comes from growing up on the east coast. Shows are also so variegated: on one hand, where I am dictates how a show will go and on another it may be totally irrelevant. I don’t know what the formula is for a good or special show, if I did I’d be incredibly satisfied all of the time, which I’m not.

In addition to opening for Noah Gundersen on this tour, you also joined him to perform select songs during these shows. How did this tour and collaboration come about?

Noah asked me to open for him after doing a tour with him whilst playing with my friend Phoebe Bridgers. He just liked my record and my guitar playing. It’s literally that simple, it always is. And also we have a fucking great time hanging out, that helps.

Harrison, his dad Brad and brother Graham in 2008 (courtesy wire image)

Your brother Graham is the guitarist for Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown (who I saw back in 2012). Your father Brad is the guitarist with Whitford / St. Holmes (who I saw in 2015) as well as some other band. I have to ask, what is in the water in the Whitford home that has so many talented guitarists in your family tree?

Good question, I’m searching for an answer everyday because I’m constantly at odds with my own playing. My dad and my brother Graham were vital in showing me key elements of being a guitarist. One of the first things my dad had me do when I started playing was to map out the fretboard, which is important for developing an intimacy with the instrument. As far as what’s in the water, I’m not sure, I suppose just a deep shared love of the guitar.

Who are your Top 5 Guitarists of All-Time?

I can’t do just five, here are the ones that come to mind immediately: Jeff Beck, Bill Frisell, Adam Levy, George Harrison, Blake Mills, Jimi Hendrix, Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ribot, Jon Brion, Tony Berg, John Lennon, Neil Young, Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang, Tom Waits, Keith Richards, Derek Trucks, BB King, Bob Dylan, Albert King, Jeff Buckley, Jimmy Page, Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Daniel Lanois, Alex Labrie...to name a few...

Afraid of Everything album cover

Earlier this year you released your debut album Afraid of Everything. I was disappointed at the merch booth to see there wasn't a physical copy of it for sale. Will there be a vinyl or CD release?

There will be eventually. It’s hard to print CD’s and Vinyl at this juncture as I’m not making a ton of money on the road but making enough to pay rent and get by. When there are some, I’ll be sure to send you both and as well have them available on the internet.

This tour with Noah Gundersen is going into November. What's next for you?

After this there’s a tour with Phoebe Bridgers that lasts all of November, then time off. I’m just going to be still for a minute and explore. Set up my 4 track recorders and just experiment for a while, until I have to leave again.

For info on Harrison Whitford: https://soundcloud.com/harrison-whitford