The Wood Brothers Set To Release Their Eighth Studio Album 'Heart Is The Hero'
Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez
The Wood Brothers have learned to trust their hearts. For the better part of two decades, they’ve cemented their reputation as freethinking songwriters, road warriors, and community builders, creating a catalog of diverse music and a loyal audience who’ve grown alongside them through the years. That evolution continues with Heart is the Hero, the band’s eighth studio album. Recorded analog to 16-track tape, this latest effort finds its three creators embracing the chemistry of their acclaimed live shows by capturing their performances in real-time direct from the studio floor with nary a computer in sight. An acoustic-driven album that electrifies, Heart is the Hero is stocked with songs that target not only the heart, but the head and hips, too.
“We love records that come from the era of less tracks and more care,” explains co-founder Oliver Wood. “When you use a computer during the tracking process, you have an infinite number of tracks at your disposal, which implies that nothing is permanent, and everything can be fixed. Tape gives you limitations that force you to be creative and intentional. You don’t look at the music on a screen; you listen to it, and you learn to focus on the feeling of the performance.”
Throughout Heart Is The Hero, those performances are matched by the visceral storytelling and songwriting chops that have turned The Wood Brothers into Grammy-nominated leaders of American roots music, even as their music reaches far beyond the genre’s borders.
The stripped-down swagger of “Pilgrim” underscores Oliver’s reminder to slow down and experience each moment as an interactive observer, rather than a passive tourist. A similar theme anchors “Between the Beats,” where Oliver draws upon a meditation technique — maintaining one’s focus on the space between heartbeats — to reach a new level of presence. The gentle sway of country soul gem “Rollin’ On,” featuring horns by Matt Glassmeyer and Roy Agee, expounds on the time-honored tradition of love as the guiding light through darkness, while ”Mean Man World” finds Chris Wood singing about his responsibilities as a father whose young daughter is poised to inherit an uncertain future. “Line Those Pockets” is a universal call for mercy and understanding over materialism. “Everybody’s just trying to be happy, so put your money away; line those pockets with grace,” the band sings in three-part harmony during the song’s chorus, which emphasizes compassion over cash as the world’s true currency. Together, these songs offer a snapshot of a spirited, independent-minded group at the peak of its powers, always pushing forward and seeking to evolve beyond what’s come before.
“There’s still acoustic guitar, upright bass, and percussion on this album — things people use all the time — but we’re always thinking, ‘How can we make this sound like us, but not like something we’ve already done?'” Oliver says. “Sometimes, the only way to do that is to get weird.”
That sense of exploration pumps its way through Heart is the Hero like lifeblood. Arriving on the heels of 2019’s Live at The Fillmore, 2020’s Kingdom In My Mind, and Oliver Wood’s solo album Always Smilin‘ — all of which were released on Honey Jar Records, the band’s independent label — Heart is the Hero is bold, bright, and singularly creative, a fully realized collective effort ultimately greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps that’s to be expected from a group whose willingness to experiment has earned acclaim from Rolling Stone and NPR, as well as an annual touring schedule of sold-out music halls and theaters on both sides of the Atlantic. Ask The Wood Brothers, though, and they’ll tell you to expect the unexpected.
“We are never satisfied if we are not searching for new musical recipes,” says Jano Rix, nodding to the uncharted territory that Heart is the Hero covers. Chris Wood agrees, adding, “We are one of those bands that isn’t easily categorized. We know what our strengths are, but we can’t help but push the envelope, as well. It’s too much fun.”
TOUR DATES
Tue, APR 11
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Scottsdale, AZ
Wed, APR 12
Orpheum Theater Flagstaff, AZ
Fri, APR 14
Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) Beaver Creek, CO
Sat, APR 15
Mission Ballroom Denver, CO
Mon, APR 17
Stiefel Theatre Salina, KS
Tue, APR 18
JJ's LIVE Fayetteville, AR
Thu, APR 20
Cain's Ballroom Tulsa, OK
Fri, APR 21
Old Settlers Music Festival 2023 Dale, TX
Sat, APR 22
The Heights Theater Houston, TX
Sun, APR 23
Granada Theater Dallas, TX
Wed, MAY 10
Premier Event Center Peoria, IL
Thu, MAY 11
The Salt Shed Chicago, IL
Fri, MAY 12
Utepils Brewing Co. Minneapolis, MN
Sat, MAY 13
Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI
Mon, MAY 15
Goodyear Theater Akron, OH
Tue, MAY 16
Taft Theatre Cincinnati, OH
Thu, MAY 18
The Eastern Atlanta, GA
Fri, MAY 19
North Carolina Museum of Art Raleigh, NC
Sat, MAY 20
The Anthem Washington, DC
Sun, MAY 21
Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, TN
Wed, JUN 7
State Theatre Portland, ME
Thu, JUN 8
Roadrunner Boston, MA
Fri, JUN 9
The Rooftop at Pier 17 New York, NY
Sat, JUN 10
Arrowood Farms Accord, NY
Sun, JUN 11
Perinton Center Park Amphitheater Fairport, NY
Tue, JUN 13
College Street Music Hall New Haven, CT
Thu, JUN 15
Ting Pavillion Charlottesville, VA
Fri, JUN 16
Virginia Arts Festival's Williamsburg Live Norfolk, VA
Sat, JUN 17
Mountain View Amphitheatre Cheswick, PA
Sun, JUN 18
Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater Grand Rapids, MI
Sat, JUN 24
Green River Festival 2023 Greenfield, MA
Jul. 7 - 9, 2023
Mariposa Folk Festival 2023 Orillia, Canada
Sat, JUL 8
Mariposa Folk Festival 2023 Orillia, Canada
Sun, JUL 9
Mariposa Folk Festival 2023 Orillia, Canada
Sat, JUL 15
Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts Santa Rosa, CA
Fri, JUL 28
Red Ants Pants Music Festival White Sulphur Springs, MT
Fri, AUG 18
Hoxeyville Music Festival Wellston, MI
Sat, AUG 19
Hoxeyville Music Festival Wellston, MI
Sun, AUG 20
Hoxeyville Music Festival Wellston, MI
Wed, OCT 4
Hillberry Music Festival Eureka Springs, AR
Thu, OCT 5
Hillberry Music Festival Eureka Springs, AR
Fri, OCT 6
Hillberry Music Festival Eureka Springs, AR
Sat, OCT 7
Hillberry Music Festival Eureka Springs, AR
Sun, OCT 8
Rebels & Renegades Festival Monterey, CA
Website: www.thewoodbros.com
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