Singer-songwriter Aud Whitson pulls at your heartstrings as she pushes her way into local music scene

Aud Whitson Live // Photo by Aud Whitson

Aud Whitson, known to her friends as Audrey Chopin, is a singer-songwriter based out of Lawrence, Kansas. Her music is a beautiful juxtaposition of nostalgia and modernity. While listening, it is easy to feel connected to the artist and wistful of one’s own past.

The unique name of Aud Whitson, she says, is inspired by the famous American poet, Walt Whitman. The syllabic similarity serves as Whitson’s way of paying homage to the poet, with whom she feels a relation to. Musically, she does not pull her inspiration from any specific artists, but rather feels inspired by every musician that she has the pleasure of listening to.

Whitson began writing music at the young age of 5, but says that she did not take writing seriously until her late high school years. She says that her earlier writing felt very similar to that of a teenage girl’s diary, and was not initially comfortable releasing it.

At age 19 she discovered the artist Phoebe Bridgers. “It was so inspiring to me to see a young, woman in music spilling her guts in the way that I did in my writing; it made me realize that my songs had value.” It is in this way that Whitson uses songwriting as a form of therapy. She says that her songs serve as a tool for processing bigger emotions such as loss and shame.

If you are interested in learning more about her songwriting, she has a show coming up Jan. 29 at Replay Lounge in Lawrence, Kansas. Whitson will be a part of their 4×4 series, in which four songwriters are chosen to sing four original songs. Each musician will also be given the opportunity to dive a bit deeper into their lives as musicians, as well as their writing process.

She has been slowly climbing the industry ladder, and she is quite optimistic about the future. She says that she holds no markers on what success means for her as a musician, just hopes to be able to support herself as a full-time musician in the future. “I already feel more successful in my music career than I ever imagined. I feel content as it is.”

Just last month, she released two new songs, “Have You Forgotten,” and “Feels Like Luck.” Her music can be found on various platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.