Billy White Acre

1997 Nominee – Independent Album of the Year – 7th annual LA Music Awards “Billy’s Not Bitter”

Billy White Acre began his musical journey as a choirboy in his native Toronto. He spent his preteen years in England on a singing scholarship, learning the rudiments of piano and cello. He picked up guitar in his late teens under the mystical metal influences of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin and the smokin’ Tele-kinetics of Roy Buchanan. The early records of Canadian singer/ songwriter Bruce Cockburn turned him on to open-tuned solo guitar music, leading him to Hedges, Kottke, and eventually the ’80s soundscapes of Johnny Marr, Adrian Belew, and Andy Summers. “I call that style ‘post-ego guitar,” chuckles White Acre, who also plays a mean electric. “Even though I like getting up and blowing some chops every once in a while, I’m more of a song-oriented guitarist.”

In his early twenties Billy began studying at Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, taking composition with Ralph Towner, world music and bebop with Bill Douglas, and sitting in on classes with Steve Tibbetts and Robben Ford. He stayed in Colorado long enough to be voted Denver’s “Best Solo Performer” in ’87, and two years later migrated to Los Angeles, where, in ’89 he won the top title in BAM magazine’s Southern California Guitarist Of the Year competition.

After forming the heavy wood trio, Billy White Acre & Big Planet in ‘91, the highly charged acoustic band released their first independent CD produced by Rod Stewart helmsman Jim Cregan. In ’94 Billboard and a blue ribbon panel of judges that included Quincy Jones, Frank Zappa, David Benoit, and David Foster picked his song “13th Generation” as best in the Rock category. In the same year he was featured in Guitar Player’s June cover story, “Youth Quake!” which declared, “White Acre is distinguished as much by his top-notch songwriting and singing as his outrageous six-string technique.”

In 1996, after six years of paying dues in LA, Billy was finally signed to NYC label, Touchwood Records and self-produced “Billy’s Not Bitter” with bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen and drummer Tom Diekmeier.Yet another prize, Billy’s Not Bitter scooped the Best Independent Album of ‘97 at the Los Angeles Music Awards.

In the late 90’s White Acre segued from performing to focusing his talents on composing for film & TV earning a fellowship in the 2002 Sundance Institute Composers Lab. He has scored numerous feature films including “Zombie Strippers” (Sony Pictures), “Love & Sex” (Lions Gate Films), and “Cookers” for which he earned the Best Film Score award at the Milan Int’l Film Festival. His television credits include shows scored for Discovery, National Geographic, and The History Channel. After ten solid years without sunlight or a PA, Billy is back to writing pop songs, doing sound checks and producing songs for himself and new artists. In March of ’11 Billy produced the debut single, “Legendary” for the Indy Pop band Mr. Downstairs.

Press Quotes
“Tossing folk, funk, noise rock, and skewed pop into a mosh pit and diving in naked after them, White Acre lays bare both his songwriter’s aching soul and the bold body of musicianship that channels it.” ~ James Rotondi, Guitar Player magazine

“Billy White Acre shines like a thermo-nuclear explosion.” ~ Jack Briggs, Music Connection

“This release is original enough to take the ‘pose’ out of ‘composition.’ It also takes into account the accomplishments of history’s best punk, pop, and acoustic players.” ~ Melissa Grego, National College Magazine

“White Acre is to the fretboard what James Brown is to the dance floor.” ~ Brian Holguin, Glendale News Press

“There is an act that makes me tingle called the Billy White Acre Band. They came off like the demon Dave Mathews band meets Sonic Youth.” ~ Orange County Weekly

“Best Solo Performer of Denver” — Compositionally prodigious, White Acre is kinetic on stage as if he is holding a passionate argument with his guitar. This is hellacious, exciting musicianship.” Westword Magazine ~ BEST OF DENVER

“A new era of guitar totin’ rocker/singer/songwriters is upon us and Billy White Acre may be among that era’s most outstanding proponents.” ~ Hit Parader

“White Acre brings catchy pop with novel new arrangements to us on this delicious little platter that’s sure to catch the attention of the major labels.” ~ John Steltenpohl, Consumable On-Line Magazine

“Sugary melodies, off kilter harmonies and truly twisted fretwork give this record real depth and heft.” ~ Car & Stereo Review

“Smart writing imbued with viscous guitar savagery. Billy is a singer/songwriter whose material is jagged-edged and emotive.” ~ Songwriters Monthly

“From ballads to catchy tunes that will have you singing and tapping your feet, the expert composition is obvious.” ~ John Bowersmith, New Mexico Daily Lobo

“Billy may not be bitter, but he sure is reflective, kinetic and yes, soulful. A master songwriter, White Acre has created a unique style.” ~ Terry Schmida, Key West Paradise

“When you think of the words ‘guitar virtuoso’ you don’t exactly think of guys who know how to write great songs, lyrics that say something, a melody that is impossible to forget. White Acre does it all so well.” ~ Scott Bolton, Ventura County Coast & Reporter

“Billy White Acre was excellent, regaling the audience with a mixture of songs and instrumentals, showing off an array of open-tunings, fiery finger work, and percussive effects.” ~ David Weiss, The Gargoyle (Univ. of Toronto)

“Totally Rad! Like Salvador Dali on guitar, man!” ~ Anonymous bartender (Boulder)

“White Acre is a six string master . . . He can sound like an entire funk band with just a guitar in hand.” ~ Gil Asakawa, Westword Magazine

“White Acre’s rhythmic intensity distances him from the solo guitar hordes.” ~ John Lehndorff, Boulder Daily Camera

“Always song driven, White Acre glides from acoustic pop numbers to gritty angst-ridden anthems with surprising ease.” ~ Album Network