A 2nd Act: Sharing the Secrets of Life
feeney/winthrop brings harmony to the community
Valley band feeney/winthrop would make musician Pharrell Williams “happy” with the joy they derive and share with their audiences.
The band’s roots go back more than 40 years, to when Matt Feeney met Ellen Hawley McWhirter through their involvement in a University of Notre Dame program that brought them both to Phoenix. Feeney met the third group member while working as an associate at Snell & Wilmer. Larry Winthrop, a partner at the firm, heard that Feeney sang and played guitar and invited himself to their practice. “Larry came to practice, and he was remarkable,” Feeney said. “We formed a folk trio called ‘Turning The Tide’ and performed together for six years.”
After Hawley McWhirter’s move from Arizona, Feeney and Winthrop formed feeney/winthrop in the early 1990s. Feeney describes the two as a “failed duo who continued to make music.” However, the duo hit a high note when Winthrop married Pat, who Feeney calls “the Queen of Harmony,” and she joined the group.
As time passed, the band expanded to include three additional members — pianist Luke Holton, drummer Alvaro Morello and Hawley McWhirter, who rejoined the group. feeney/winthrop’s genre of music also evolved to incorporate other styles, including a jazz bent.
Three aspects present since the band’s formation have enabled it to stand the test of time — friendship, a shared passion for music and leveraging that passion into a force for good. “We’re good friends who like to create music,” Feeney said. “There is this feeling that comes when you’re making music with people you’ve known for a long time. You’re singing, the piano, drums and guitars are going, and the harmonies are hitting. You’re taken to a different place. It’s almost otherworldly.”
The third secret to the band’s success is its motivation to support the community. Since 2008, feeney/winthrop has performed an annual concert benefiting St. Joseph the Worker. These concerts have not only raised more than $670,000 to date but have increased awareness of the nonprofit’s mission of empowering individuals to achieve independence by providing them with the resources and support to secure employment and housing.
“Our music is wrapped around things that we perceive will be helpful to the community,” Feeney said. “When people leave our concert, they feel connected. That’s a good thing in this day and age.”
The band performs at a limited number of engagements for charitable organizations they have connections to, such as its 18th annual benefit concert this March at Tempe Center for the Arts. “I liken our annual concert to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” Feeney said. “As soon as it is over, we start to think about next year.”
The band’s past, present and future tempo maintains a consistent beat. feeney/winthrop recently dropped their 10th album, “The Passage of Time (Second Act),” celebrating 20 years since releasing their first CD, “The Passage of Time,” which is a line from the James Taylor song “Secret O’ Life.” The band spent 18 months creating the album, which includes 12 original songs.
The album cover pays homage to the passage of time by depicting similar artwork to their first CD of a clock, representing the finite amount of time each person has on Earth. “Our 2004 album cover included a clock face with a time of 2:55 p.m.,” Feeney said. “The 2024 album cover shows that same clock face with a time of 7:55 p.m. We’re clearly into our second act.”
feeney/winthrop’s future album, slated for 2026, will be a compilation of songs from the last 18 years of concerts. Writing is also underway on songs that will follow the “live” concert album.
“I don’t have a goal as to how I want people to feel when they listen to our music,” Feeney said. “Anytime anybody listens to our stuff, I am always very honored that somebody will take the time to do that.”
You could say the secret’s out, and it’s been time well spent.
To learn more, visit feeneywinthrop.com.
