Spotlights On: Whitney Marie

A Hometown Storyteller

A “Born at Munson” local songwriter, Whitney Marie has found much of her inspiration in stories, either inspired by those she knew as a child or those she’s yet to recognize. 

Twisting Old Tales

"I call myself a purveyor of folk and fairy tales. I have a song about Rapunzel and what her life might have looked like after she comes down from the tower. I have a song from the perspective of the Big Bad Wolf,” she explained. “Most recently I wrote a song about Bonnie and Clyde; that one was almost completely written before I even realized who it was about."

Where Her Sound Comes From

A moody, folk-meets-Evanescence edge vibe that carries across her music is inspired by multiple artists, including inspirations like Johnny Cash and other country artists to vintage-inspired-vocalist Sierra Ferrell and indie artists. 

Whitney Marie, alongside the ukulele she picked up.

"Steal Like an Artist radically jailbroke me out of my cultural jailhouse; the idea that you're not talented enough, not good enough to do this, so why bother. His point was: we're all artists, and we can't become who we're supposed to unless we give ourselves the space to be one,” Whitney described. 

The Long Road to the Stage

However, the songwriting piece hasn’t always come seamlessly to her, especially when it came to recently adventuring into more releases and performances. From the first time she called herself a songwriter to the time of her first performance at Seven Hills, on Old Mission Peninsula, about six or seven years passed. 

"I still honestly struggle with the comparison game. But if I can just put my blinders on and say, ‘I love this song, I love to share it with other people, and I love when that one person finds something in it that makes them feel seen’ then the rest sort of falls into place,” she said.

From the time she was 12, she recalls writing down lyrics in journals, though it took her years, experimentation in school, and even affirmation from songwriting groups to feel the confidence to chase her passion. For Whitney, the realization process was slow—she calls herself a bit of a “late bloomer.” Originally settled with just vocals, she picked up a ukulele solely as a means to share her music, which unexpectedly became incorporated into public performances. 

"I've really started to identify with myself as more than a musician; I'm really a songwriter. I'm kind of thinking about rebranding myself,” she noted. “Instead of Whitney Marie Music, maybe Whitney Marie Songwriter because that songwriting craft is what I really enjoy most."

Music as Medicine

Even now, she finds herself slowly returning to music once again, after a season of artistic semi-hibernation. The journey takes her once again through little notes, in a way that almost feels like she’s chipping away at the song, piece by piece. 

"It's like the songs almost come down to me, and I'm just a miner trying to dig out the little gems and figure out who the song is. The song almost takes a form of its own, and I'm simply trying to capture it and spin it into lyrics and chords,” she recounted. 

With a true-to-Northern-Michigan folk spin, she takes inspiration as well from Amy Lee and Evanescence, whose music realized the true impact of the art on her life. 

Whitney's logo, representing her folksy sound with flowers.

"If somebody saw me in my car, they would think I was going to go murder someone, because I'm just crying and singing... she saves me all the time,” she said. "Music has saved me in my life. I think if I can make somebody feel seen in their emotions, that’s what I love."

On her song "Girls with Sad Hearts Do Funny Things," she says her friends know it's coming at her gigs and joke about it;  "sorry, not sorry," she laughs, knowing the tear-jerker tugs at her friends’ heartstrings each time she plays it. Still, inspired by Dolly Parton’s courage and authenticity, she holds strong to one principle: “find yourself, and stand steadfastly in it, because there will always be those people trying to negatively impact you, and they are not worth your time.” Unapologetic in her playing, “Girls with Sad Hearts Do Funny Things” is just one example of how Whitney brings back that authenticity and connection with the deep emotion behind the music: a primary purpose of her craft. 

She’s been busy playing locally over the summer and is excited to get a chance to get more writing and recording done soon, with the return to the stage already fueling the artist inside her beginning to bloom once again. 

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To keep up with her latest updates or watch for upcoming shows, follow Whitney Marie on Instagram or check out her LinkTree to listen to her releases so far.