William Elliott Whitmore lives in Lee County, between the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers, in the very southeastern corner of Iowa. He lives and works on his family's land, finding inspiration there for the songs he writes and the music he makes. Radium Death is his third album for the Anti- label, and his seventh overall. Whitmore recorded the record in Iowa City over a two year period, with Luke Tweedy producing. About a third of the new songs are performed solo, and the rest feature a variety of musicians.