The Wood Brothers are one of the most unique groups playing music today; not quite folk, not quite bluegrass, not quite jazz, but somehow compatible with all of the above, their music transcends traditional boundaries and consistently pushes the band into new territory. Guitarist Oliver Wood sat down the other day and answered some of my questions about their songwriting, how they’ve evolved as a group, and how music brings people together.
Having been around the block once or twice, The Wood Brothers have learned a thing or two about what they want out of themselves and their music. When describing their latest album, One Drop of Truth, Oliver says, “This was the most independent and enjoyable record we’ve done. Not only did we self-produce it, but we took our time and had very little outside input or judgment (from label, management, etc.). We have our own label and create our own budget now so it feels good not to have to answer to anyone.”
Wood continued, describing how they got the varying sounds and moods on the album: “Another difference is that we spread out the writing and recording process so that we recorded songs as they were written instead of compiling all the songs and recording them at the same time. Using different studios and engineers as we went was fun and allowed us to make a less homogenous sounding record. Each song got its own treatment and the attention it deserved.” He expanded on that thought, discussing the importance of letting the music take the wheel: “Songs often do change direction as they’re being created and recorded, so you have to let go sometimes and let that happen.”
When the material is so diverse, the source must be equally divergent in attitude and methodology. Wood describes their myriad springs of inspiration thusly: “We’ve never had one system – anything goes. Notebooks full of lyrics, snippets of music, riffs and ideas, they all grow into songs. What we really love lately is just playing together with no rules – improvising and experimenting to create music that inspires lyrics later.” He also highlighted the importance of the music being a collaborative effort: “A lot of the music comes from collaborative improvisations, recorded and then married with new or existing lyrics. We all come in with ideas though. The most fun thing is coming up with music spontaneously as a group.”
The improvisational spirit of The Wood Brothers has landed them in some pretty varied scenarios. From small family-friendly events like Shoe Fest in Manteno, IL to the rowdy, nine stage Summer Camp in Chillicothe, IL one can find The Wood Brothers fitting right in, no matter the crowd. Wood appreciates the way the growth of the scene is affecting the band, and also the music world itself, saying this: “[I haven’t noticed any] major changes, although I like seeing how the different roots categories are overlapping and how people (fans and artists) are appreciating styles that are outside their usual boxes. For some reason, we play a lot of bluegrass festivals. I’m not sure how we fit in there, but I’m glad we do.”
So much uncertainty might make one understandably nervous under different circumstances. Wood, however, relishes it, as he describes the message of One Drop of Truth: “I feel like the theme is that we’re not in control – and that’s okay, as long as you look for signs, beauty, guidance, and truth.” Basically, things are out of our hands, but live the right way, and everything will fall into place.
As we wind down 2018, Wood is looking forward to the next step for the band, which, in his words, is, “Plenty of touring, as always, but we’ve also started work on a lot of new music, and that’s always really exciting!” To put out an album and be working on new tunes in the same year is stellar work indeed.
The Wood Brothers are a musical tour de force; their remarkable music moves hearts and minds, and they are coming to a town near you! Be sure not to miss them, and check out One Drop of Truth while you’re at it!
