Bonnie is moving to Los Angeles. Let’s give her a warm Texas send-off!

Bonnie Whitmore is no stranger to the stage. After two decades backing Americana giants like Hayes Carll and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, the Austin-based bassist and singer is stepping fully into the spotlight with her latest album, Last Will and Testament.

Known for her residency at the Continental Club Gallery, Whitmore has traded the shadows for a platform. While her 2016 release F** With Sad Girls* turned heads, her new work tackles heavy themes—suicide, rape culture, and the American divide—with a "pop sensibility." Taking the "shut up and sing" trope literally, she weaves hard conversations into catchy, Tom Petty-esque anthems and lush, vibey tracks like "None of My Business."

The album, co-produced with Scott Davis, features her band, the Sad Girls, and reflects a lifetime steeped in music. Raised in a musical family of pilots, Whitmore credits her mother’s operatic power and her father’s mentorship for her fearless voice. James McMurtry, who frequently taps her as his opener, puts it simply: "Damn, chick can sing." As critic Peter Blackstock noted, Whitmore has simply "too much to say to stay in the shadows."