is HEre

Let’s Play! has been years in the making. A collaboration with Woody’s own children who are all multi-instrumentalists, the album features 11 beautifully crafted songs that children and adults can enjoy. It brings together Woody’s great love of music, family and friendship, and the outdoors.

Here is a taste of the new album. Play All Day is a duet with Woody and daugheter Jayda. Uke Uke Uke tells the story of Woody the classroom teacher, who really wants to be a musician. Seven Seas is an ode to the adventurous spirit of youth and finding your own path in life. Enjoy!

SOMETIMES LIFE TRUMPS ART

Sept 2019

Blog by Woody.

There are 'dad duties', relentless house work and drudgery and then you cop Glandular Fever. Yet of late we have been working very hard and the new album is ready for mastering and the pressing of CD's prior to Christmas.

This project did not require creativity or passion. That was abundant in spades. It required sheer will power and commitment over the past five years. When my funding application was rejected in 2015, I applied again, and again and again – in fact I applied seven times over three and a half years. Finally, in 2018 the Creative Victoria panel could not deny me (or they were sick of me), and the money came through. This takes stubbornness, even doggedness, for when you get knocked to the floor you have to stand up, brush yourself off and go again. For when it is your art do you have a choice?

The creative parts of making an album are always fun. Collaborating with producers, kids and all the musicians is privileged work. We even had puppets Hercules and Jasmina come into the studio to record some vocals - did you get to see that??

After a five-year journey, Let’s Play! is a body of work I am really proud of. It took every bit of me to bring it to life as I envisioned it. 

Songwriting and producing is a mysterious process. Each song emerges from a naked state and requires dressing, cultivating and to be delicately nurtured, so as to come forth into the world and be expressed. Every song is it's own being. Songs are shy and allusive like that. The process requires a deep listening to honour their DNA.

So what have I learned? Life trumps art and art trumps life. If anything the title is a message. Let’s Play a little more

What has trumped your art lately?

Woody x