The Wood Brothers are in the midst of a cross-country tour that brings them to House of Blues in Boston on Saturday. The trio (guitarist Oliver Wood, bassist Chris Wood, and drummer Jano Rix) have recently released what Oliver calls the “most purely Wood Brothers’ album.” The band will perform in support of their sixth studio album, ‘One Drop of Truth’ via Honey Jar Records/Thirty Tigers, which will be released on Friday.
Catch a sneak peek of the first single from the album and its opening track, “River Takes The Town.” The 10-track, self-produced collection was written prior to natural disasters that decimated parts of the world this summer and was was recorded just one day after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston.
We caught up recently with Oliver Wood to find out what inspires their lyrics, how their latest album differs from the rest and what they are looking forward to most when visiting Boston this weekend.
Photo Credit: Calabro Music Media
Your sixth studio album is just about to come out. Tell us what we can expect from “One Drop of Truth” and how it differs from your previous music.
Well we’re really proud of this batch of songs. For the first time, we felt like each song got enough attention to stand alone and tell it’s own story.
Was it a long process to make this album?
We took about nine months to record the record which was a huge luxury. Recording songs as they were written instead of compiling them and recording the whole batch at once. A little recording in between each tour was much more fun than the compromise you make when cramming the whole record into one session. Each song got plenty of love and we had much more fun doing it this way.
Where do you draw inspiration when coming up with your lyrics?
Lyrics come from all over–things people say, things we or people we know experience, and plenty from the subconscious.
Had it always been a dream for you and your brother, Chris, to make music and tour together?
It may have been a dream and just took a long time for us to realize it–we didn’t start the Wood Brothers until we’d been working apart for 12 years.
What do you like most about creating music – songwriting or performing?
Songwriting is really fun but there’s no substitute for performing for an audience and feeling people connecting with us and each other.
Your music crosses the lines between rock and folk music. How would you describe your style?
For some reason it’s not fun to try and describe our style…it doesn’t feel right to name it. But, it’s definitely our own recipe using the ingredients you mentioned—rock, folk, add blues, gospel, a little jazz. I guess we’re just combining all our favorite elements from these styles.
Where has been the most memorable place you have played?
Well, Red Rocks in Colorado and Carnegie Hall are certainly memorable, though I’ve had just as much fun playing in little nightclubs filled with music lovers.
You are coming to Boston this weekend. What are some of your favorite places to visit/things to eat in the city?
Always love playing Boston—the city’s music fans are incredible. I love some New England clam chowder and I’ve always had fun in Cambridge and Somerville, but if it’s cold I stay indoors. Looking forward to playing House of Blues!
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