Whitcomb was born in Peace River, Alberta, but raised in Nanaimo, British Columbia.[3] Growing up, he primarily listened to rap music, including Eminem, Swollen Members, and Madchild.[4] Around the age of seventeen, Whitcomb left home and began working on the Trans Mountain Pipeline in Kamloops.[3] Around the same time, his brother introduced him to Johnny Cash, and Whitcomb subsequently began singing after becoming a fan of Tyler Childers.[4] At nineteen, while continuing to work on the pipeline, Whitcomb began to post karaoke videos of himself singing on Reddit.[5]
Career
In 2022, an American Idol executive found a video of Whitcomb singing on Reddit and reached out to him.[6] He subsequently competed on season 20 of the show, and reached the top 20 of the competition before being eliminated.[7][8] Whitcomb decided to seriously pursue a career in music after exiting the show.[9]
In 2023, Whitcomb released the song "Shoot Me Dead".[10] He then signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and released the song "Rocking Chair" in May 2024.[11] In July 2024, Whitcomb released the single "Quitter". The song was sent to radio formats in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and later became his first charting entry on the all-genre Canadian Hot 100.[2][12][13] He released his debut extended play, also titled Quitter on September 27, 2024.[14] In November 2024, Whitcomb released the song "Medusa".[15] He embarked on his headlining ”Quitter Tour" throughout late 2024 and early 2025 in the United States and Canada.[16][17]
Personal life
Whitcomb admitted in an interview that he has struggled with addiction since he was thirteen years old.[4] His song "Quitter" was inspired by his battle with addiction, and becoming sober.[4]