New York, NY (Top40 Charts) For many musicians, the coronavirus-caused quarantine put a halt on creating new songs; however, award-winning singer-songwriter Donovan Woods adapted quickly from his makeshift home recording studio to create his new album 'Without People' due Nov. 6. The tender track "Seeing Other People" is available everywhere this Fri., Aug. 21.
While the album was created by musicians who were all contributing remotely, it encompasses the most intimate moments of human connection — something most people continue to yearn for more than five months into the current global pandemic.
On 'Without People,' Woods showcases his ability to illuminate the importance of tiny moments in relationships -- from the innocent, unadulterated first blush of budding love on songs like "Clean Slate" to the complexities of the father-son dynamic on "Man Made Lake" and the appreciation of a lover's grace in one's weakest moments on the Katie Pruitt duet "She Waits For Me To Come Back Down." On "Lonely People," celebrated British singer Rhys Lewis delicately echoes Woods' sentiments about wanting to be alone - until you're suddenly lonely.
"This album made me think about how easy life would be without other people, and how useless it would be," says Woods. "This is what my brain wants to write about, so I suppose my responsibility is to follow it further and further into the most fearsome feelings I've got."
Woods recruits co-writers Tucker Beathard, Ashley Monroe, Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson,
Thomas Finchum and Katie Pruitt to create a lyrically-forward collection of songs bound by themes of the human condition. Long-time collaborator and producer,
James Bunton and vocal producer Todd Clark (Dua Lipa, Noah Kahan, Phillip Phillips) round out the musically diverse creative team behind the album.
"I dove in deeper on this album than I ever have," says Woods. "So if we are coming to the end of something, I can say that I tried my hardest to write truthfully about the people I've loved and the things I did wrong, and add my little verse to the story of what it feels like to be a person."
For the release of 'Without People,' Woods is committed to supporting individuals in marginalized communities. Woods launched his Humans of New York-esque Donovan Woods With People Project on Wed., Jul. 29, championing independent creators from North America, United Kingdom, Sweden,
Kenya and beyond across a diverse range of art mediums including graphic design and illustration, painting, dancing and more. Woods is collaborating with the artists from all over the world to create visual interpretations of each song on the record.'
'Without People' tracklist:
1. "Without People" (Donovan Woods, Drew Jurecka)
2. "The Last Time I Saw You" (Woods, Jake Etheridge)
3. "Seeing Other People" (Woods,
Dustin Christensen)
4. "We Used To" (Woods)
5. "She Waits For Me To Come Back Down feat. Katie Pruitt" (Woods, Katie Pruitt)
6. "Clean Slate" (Woods, Jeremy Spillman, Tucker Beathard)
7. "Man Made Lake" (Woods, Ed Robertson)
8. "
Interlude" (Woods,
Travis Wood, Tom Douglas)
9. "Lonely People feat. Rhys Lewis" (Woods,
Dustin Christensen,
Jessie Jo Dillon)
10. "Grew Apart" (Woods, Wood, Logan Wall)
11. "Whole Way Home" (Woods, Andy Skib,
Thomas Finchum)
12. "High Season" (Woods, Ashley Monroe)
13. "God Forbid" (Woods, Robertson)
14. "Whatever Keeps You Going" (Woods, Wall, Femke Weidema)
For more information on Donovan Woods, please visit donovanwoods.net.
