Localized: Whisperhawk

On Wednesday, August 20, join SLUG for a pared-down, bluesy rock show that will touch your heart and set you free. Your shepherds through the night are co-headliners Whisperhawk and Kirk Dath Band with opener Eldersister. SLUG Localized is sponsored by Riso-Geist and hosted at Kilby Court. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and tickets are only $5. Get your tickets here.

By the time he started releasing music as Whisperhawk in 2017, Utah singer-songwriter Michael Gross had already spent 15 years cutting his teeth in the state’s indie scene — first with his band The Brobecks, and later through a string of collaborative projectsincluding Let’s Become Actors and The Lazy Waves. But the Whisperhawk project marked a turn inward: a solo venture born out of thecreative necessity to write and record on hisown terms.

Armed with a library of song ideas accumulated over two decades, Gross leaned into what he could do on his own. He fine tuned his home studio and gave himself “a college education in audio production.” The result is a prolific and ever-growing catalog that spans styles and subjects but shares a common thread: the immediacy of inspiration, captured before it fades.

“For me, I’ve always believed in capturing the feeling while it’s still fresh. If I let it sit too long, I might not come back to it.”

Gross, who is a member of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, says that heritage and identity have been central pillars of his songwriting in recent years. “I’ve gotten more involved with Native American issues as I’ve gotten older,” he says. “That’s definitely inspired some of the songs. But I just try to write about very human things — experience, relationships, the world we’re living in.”

His 2023 release Keepers of the Earth Vol. 2 combined folk, indie rock and storytelling to confront complex histories — including the Bear River Massacre, in which an estimated 400 Shoshone people

were killed in 1863. Still, Whisperhawk is not defined by any singlesubject. One track might deliver a medita-tion on memory or cultural survival; another might offer a wry take on modern life. “I can be a pretty sarcastic person,” Gross says.“Humor sneaks into the lyrics, even when I’m writing about serious things.”

The name “Whisperhawk” draws from the same blend of personal history and perpetual reinvention. When he was born, he received the Shoshone name “Du-Gee-Nee,” which translates to Little Hawk, from his grandmother. He later added “whisper” because he always liked the sound of the word.

While Whisperhawk recordings are mostly solo endeavors — Gross writing, playing and engineering the parts himself — he’s quick to acknowledge the value of collaboration. “I prefer playing with a band,” he says. “It’s just more fun, and it’s easier when there are multiple brains working on something.” For the upcoming SLUG Localized show, Gross is planning a stripped-down set with acoustic guitar and piano, joined by longtime friend and former Brobecks bandmate Bryan Szymanski. “I want it to be interesting for the audience,” he says. “The goal of any live show I play is to give people an experience.”

“That’s definitely inspired some of the songs. But I just try to write about very human things — experience, relationships, the world we’re living in.”

That intention carries over into his creative process, which is often solitary. Gross doesn’t overthink the finished product, but he’s not careless either. His approach is driven by the catharsis of unfiltered expression, and intuition steers the ship. “Some people sit on an idea for weeks or months,” he says. “For me, I’ve always believed in capturing the feeling while it’s still fresh. If I let it sit too long, I might not come back to it.” Because of that urgency, Gross’s songs often encompass specific moments or experiences, living snippets from a still unfolding story.

Whisperhawk continues to evolve. Whether he’s writing about family, culture or the chaos of the modern world, Gross remains committed to the feeling that music offers genuine belonging. “It’s how I make sense of things,” he says. For music streaming, tour dates and merch, go to whisperhawkmusic.com.

Read more SLUG Localized interviews here:
Localized: Detzany
Localized: Jazzy Olivo