It starts with a cautiously plucked guitar string, and swells into a sweeping crescendo of love and warmth. With “Holding Hands,” Whitney Fenimore and co-writer Marielle Kraft encapsulate a truly epic love story — one that overcomes not just the doubts and stuttering starts of new relationship, but embracing one’s identity and overcoming societal disapproval.
Fenimore was a semi-finalist on Season 13 of The Voice and has been plugging away at her own solo music since. For those who haven’t seen or heard her yet, “Holding Hands” will sweep you into Fenimore’s musical world, her voice rich with emotion and arresting with its confidence.
Before all that, though, Fenimore grew up in conservative Christian circles in Tulsa, Okla., even attending a Christian college and, after, Christian leadership conferences — where she met her first girlfriend.
On her latest single, Fenimore explores her journey from shame to acceptance and love. (Fenimore married Olympian skeleton racer Kendall Wesenberger this past June.)
Listen to “Holding Hands” below:
“Holding Hands” is one of seven songs on Fenimore’s upcoming album Leaving Ashwood, which is set for release on Sept. 23. The record is centered around Fenimore’s own personal experiences, from finding love to relocating to Nashville, where she was struck by the city’s caliber of creative talent.
“[Nashville has] pushed me to be a better musician and songwriter, since everyone here does the same thing, you have to keep up,” she notes. ”You’re a small fish in a huge pond, but it’s really great because it challenges you.”
You can learn more about Whitney Fenimore by visiting her official website or by following her via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Whitney Fenimore, Leaving Ashwood Track List:
1. “Holding Hands”
2. “Way Back Home”
3. “It’s Not Me” ft. Nick Kingswell
4. “Forward”
5. “Better Me”
6. “Hurts Slow”
7. “Stay a Little Longer”
13 John Prine Lyrics That Prove He Wrote Like No One Else
Prine’s lyrical stories were both fantastical and simple; he wrote with a Midwest-bred honesty and humor that kept listeners on their toes. His catalog, spread over 18 albums, contains vivid stories (“Lake Marie”), insightful looks at the human condition (“Hello in There”) and sweet love songs (“Aimless Love”).
These 13 Prine lyrics — largely pulled from his songs’ choruses — are some of his very best: