By Nikole Tower, October 2018 Web Exclusive.
Phoenix-based alt-country singer Whitney Fenimore just finished touring the states in celebration of the release of her EP, Battle Within.
She took a break from hiking in her home state of Oklahoma to talk to Echo about life after “The Voice,” what the new EP means to her and how to keep your head high as an aspiring musician.
The five-track EP, released in May, features deep personal stories that she felt ready to share with listeners. According to Fenimore, the project is a combination of songs were written a couple years ago as well as some of her recent work. The tracks come together as a cohesive introduction to the Phoenix-based artist and all center around the themes of love, heartbreak and finding yourself.
Whitney Fenimore.
“They were songs that I have written over a long period of time and I knew I wanted them to get out and be heard,” Fenimore said. “I feel like somebody could relate to this. I really wanted to get those songs out even though I wrote them a while back. They still have meaning and hopefully people can relate to this.”
Fenimore said she hopes listeners will walk away knowing that it’s OK to take some time to find yourself. She encourages going on that journey to figure out who you are and what you’re about because no matter who you are, “you’re still an important puzzle piece to this whole thing we call life.”
The EP came out following her performances on the “The Voice” where her audition earned her a place on Adam Levine’s team then later moving under the wing of Miley Cyrus.
While the wardrobes, hair and makeup team took her by surprise, she said the vocal coaching turned out to be more than helpful. According to Fenimore, it was like a boot camp that offered a constant stream of new advice on how to improve her talent. That wasn’t her only takeaway from the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she added that the experience was the ultimate confident booster and motivator to keep going.
“You have to work really hard at your craft and get out there and meet people and network and write and meet other musicians,” Fenimore said. “That’s what I’ve been doing. It just encouraged me [in knowing] that I can do this and, if I want it, then I have to work really hard.”
Fenimore also said she doesn’t think “The Voice” gave her a leg up on anyone else trying to work their way through the music biz. As long as you’re ambitious about what you want, there’s nothing in your way except yourself.
From Tulsa to Los Angeles to Phoenix, Fenimore has lived in a variety of settings. She’s settled in the Southwest for the time being for her girlfriend – in order to avoid a long-distance relationship. While Arizona wasn’t her first option, she said she’s fallen in love with it here through her experiences in nature, camping trips, hiking trails and witnessing the Milky Way from Page.
Fenimore is an out and proud queer musician, but she doesn’t let that define her, or let anyone or anything stop her from loving who she wants to love. While she’s not quick to start waving her rainbow flag, she said she still wants to have a positive presence in the LGBTQ community.
“There’s so much more to me than who I date,” Fenimore said. “I think it’s just been a journey for me. I’m just figuring out where my place is at and how I can influence others in a positive way that may have a similar story to mine.”
For more information on Fenimore, visit whitneyfenimore.com.
