Solo singer

Born and raised in Reno, Whitney Myer remembers going to Artown events and the Rollin’ on the River series over the years and watching many talented musicians perform, including her father, Scott Myer, and her uncle, Fred Myer.

“It’s something I remember going to growing up, and my dad was in a band for a long time and so was my uncle,” Myer said. “They played it in their band. It’s a Reno staple. It’s all ages, and it’s a really uplifting event for people to go to, which I really support.”

Myer said she loves that the Rollin’ on the River series is free to the public and explained that she feels honored to be a part of it and promoting arts and culture in Reno.

“I think Artown is a really integral part of summer, and I think arts and culture get overlooked a lot of times in the mass media of Reno,” Myer said. “So I think it’s important that it continues, and I love being a part of it.”

After being on The Voice, with Adam Levine of Maroon 5 as her coach, Myer felt lucky that Reno rallied behind her and is happy to give back to Reno with the help of the Rollin’ on the River series during Artown.

“I love helping change the outside opinion of Reno on a national scale,” Myer said. “And I think Artown is part of that because there’s a lot of tourists here during the summer. I think it’s a really great way to give back to the community and just support the arts because there’s a diminishing of that in school and in state funding.”

Myer released her new solo, five-track album, Articles of Luminous Nature, in April at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, with about 1,500 people in attendance. This is her first project as a solo artist, and her sound has changed and matured.

“I’ve recently delved into a new genre. I used to play like soul rock, and I wanted to experiment with electronic music,” Myer said. “So I’ve been doing that, and I have a new band that’s together, and they’re really awesome. It’s some of the area’s best musicians.”

Myer titles her new genre as “electronic soul or future soul.”

“It’s kind of a mix between Erykah Badu and Florence and the Machine and Björk,” she said.

Because Myer wrote all her own lyrics and music for this album, it feels very real and personal.

In her album note, Myer writes, “Here is a small sliver of my heart in the form of pressed plastic and other random materials. I hope it pleases you. I feel that what drives us in life is connection, and I hope this album makes you feel more connected to the people you interact with, and to yourself.”

Myer toured her new album in May and after her Rollin’ on the River performance on July 5 at Wingfield Park, she will continue touring during the month of August.

The tour will be primarily in the West Coast with some “jetting over to Montana and Idaho a little bit.” The tour is not finalized yet, but she plans to cover a great deal of the West Coast.

“We’re planning as far north as Vancouver and as far south as L.A., if everything goes as planned,” Myer said.

Whitney Myer will perform at Wingfield Park Amphitheater on opening night of Rollin’ on the River, July 5, at 5:30 p.m. with Grace Gatsby opening for her. Ω