The Whipps

MEET THE WHIPPS In late 2009, singer Don Hanshaw and guitarist Larry Collinsworth formed The Whipps and released their debut album Ghettobillies a few months later. Joined by multi-instrumentalist Ed Price and drummer Greg Fletcher, The Whipps live show is high energy fueled by great musicians. Straddling the line with one foot in the country dirt and one foot on the edge of town, The Whipps Ghettobillies sound is a country crossbreed that cracks with hick hop and rock. “People respond to the fun in our music and the lifestyle we talk about. They don’t think about whether we’re breaking boundaries or mixing tradition with new technology. They don’t think about music as a cultural relic, they just want to sing along, shake it and have a good time. We love that about our fans,” says Larry Collinsworth. Blending traditional instruments like banjo, dobro and mandolin with newer sounds and hybrid elements, the band comes from Greenup County Kentucky, known as the gateway to The Country Music Highway. Singer Don Hanshaw talks about this, “A lot of music innovators came out of this area. We pass highway signs everyday that remind us of our heritage. Seeing names like Loretta Lynn, The Judds and Billy Ray Cyrus tells us that our little part of the country is home to one of the richest traditions in country music. Coming home from honky-tonk gigs late at night, I read those signs and dream about getting our music out there to the world.” With support from sponsors like Jagermeister and airplay from radio stations WDGG 93.7, WLGC 105.7, WTCR 103.3, and play on Pandora internet radio, the band’s ballad “Honestly” recently went to #1 on indiecharts.com and stayed there for eight weeks. Other standout tracks from The Whipps include “Got Mud” written by Jerrod Niemann and Monty Criswell, up tempo country dance track “Giddy Up,” and the title track “Ghettobillies,” a song about living in the country and listening to everything from Run DMC to Willie Nelson. Opening for Little Texas, former Confederate Railroad member Cody McCarver and Steve Azar, The Whipps currently tour regionally in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Maryland. Playing over 150 dates a year, the band is growing their fan base and releasing new music to iTunes and CD Baby this summer. Bassist Eric Daniels explains where the band is coming from, “We like to push our music in new directions. Country music came from the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee and a tradition of sharing styles from blues to bluegrass. So, what we are doing is following in the footsteps of that tradition.” Join The Whipps at their Nashville debut on Thursday, September 15, 2011, at 6:00 pm at The Exit/In, 2208 Elliston Place, www.exitin.com. For more information please visit www.TheWhipps.com or contact band rep Brian Hanshaw, (203)767-2182. Current Radio Airplay: WDGG - 93.7 “The Dawg,” Huntington, WV WLGC - 105.7 “The Best Country,” Ashland, KY WTCR - 103.3, “Good Times, Great Country,” Clear Channel Radio, Huntington, WV "A country crossbreed that cracks with hick hop and rock." GD Hall, countrymusicpride.com