Donovan Woods (musician)

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Donovan Woods
Born Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres Folk, folk rock, country, country pop
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2007–present
LabelsMeant Well Inc.
Website www.donovanwoods.net
Donovan Woods, performing at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado (October 2, 2023) Donovan Woods, a folk and country singer-songwriter, performing at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado.jpg
Donovan Woods, performing at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado (October 2, 2023)

Donovan Woods is a Canadian folk and country singer-songwriter. He has released several albums of folk and roots music, including the Juno Award-winning Both Ways.

Contents

Early life

Woods was born and raised in Sarnia, Ontario. He began playing guitar and writing songs as a teenager. [1]

Career

Woods' first album, The Hold Up, was released in 2007.

His second album, The Widowmaker, was released in 2010, [1] and his third album, Don't Get Too Grand, was released in 2013 [2] and garnered Woods' first Juno Award nomination for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo.

His fourth album, Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled, was released February 26, 2016, [3] and was a longlisted nominee for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize. At the 12th Canadian Folk Music Awards, Woods won the award for English Songwriter of the Year, and the album was nominated for Contemporary Album of the Year.

Woods' fifth full-length album Both Ways was released on April 20, 2018. [4] At the Juno Awards of 2019, Both Ways won the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year. [5] In May 2019 Woods released The Other Way, a companion album to Both Ways which featured more acoustic-based renditions of the prior album's songs. [6] The Other Way included guest vocals from Tenille Townes on "I Ain't Ever Loved No One", [6] which was a duet with Rose Cousins in its original Both Ways version.

The next full-length album, Without People, was released on November 6, 2020. [7] The album featured guest vocals from both Katie Pruitt and Rhys Lewis [8] as well as songwriting credits from Ashley Monroe, Tucker Beathard, Thomas Finchum and Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies. [9] As part of the release, Woods launched the Donovan Woods With People Project, which featured dancers and visual artists from multiple countries creating pieces inspired by songs from the album. [10] One of the project's featured artists was Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, Ariana and the Rose. [11]

On May 7, 2021 Woods released the song "IOWA" with Aoife O'Donovan. On March 18, 2022, Woods released his EP, Big Hurt Boy. [12] He subsequently opened for Matt Nathanson on his "Some Mad Hope 15th Anniversary Tour" in the United States.

In 2023, he participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's single "What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health. [13]

On July 12, 2024, his most recent album, "Things Were Never Good If They're Not Good Now" was released by End Times Music, a indie label founded by Woods and Michelle Szeto. The record features 11 songs and two bonus tracks.

Songwriting

Woods' song "Portland, Maine" (co-written with Abe Stoklasa) [14] has also been recorded by Tim McGraw. [15] Woods' song "Leaving Nashville" (also co-written with Abe Stoklasa) [16] has been recorded by Lady A singer Charles Kelley. [17]

Woods was signed to Warner/Chappell Nashville in 2016. [18]

In 2018, Woods was a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nominee as cowriter of James Barker Band's song "Chills". [19] He has also co-written the number one Canada Country hits "Feels Like That" by the Reklaws and "Forever's Gotta Start Somewhere" by Chad Brownlee. [20] [21]

Film/TV Syncs

Woods' song "Brand New Gun" was featured in the movie Numb starring Matthew Perry. His song "Wait and See" was featured on Degrassi: The Next Generation , and his song "My Cousin Has a Grey Cup Ring" was used in commercials for the Grey Cup. [1] "Grey Cup Ring" was inspired by Woods' father, who is a cousin of former Montreal Alouettes player Glen Weir. [22] His song "Kennedy" was featured on an episode of The Good Doctor in 2017, "Don't Get Too Grand" was featured on Rookie Blue and "Portland, Maine" was featured on season 1 of Legacies in 2019. [23] Woods' has had other placements in shows like Felicity, Less Than Kind and The Fosters . [24]

Woods wrote "The Heart of Christmas" performed by Alicia Witt in the Hallmark movie, Our Christmas Love Song. [25]

Discography

Studio Albums
TitleAlbum details
The Hold Up
  • Released: May 23, 2007
  • Label: SunnyLane Records
The Widowmaker
  • Released: September 30, 2010
  • Label: Meant Well
Don't Get Too Grand
  • Released: March 5, 2013
  • Label: Meant Well
Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled
  • Released: February 26, 2016
  • Label: Meant Well
Both Ways
  • Released: April 20, 2018
  • Label: Meant Well
The Other Way
  • Released: May 3, 2019
  • Label: Meant Well
Without People
  • Released: November 6, 2020
  • Label: Meant Well
Without People (Deluxe)
  • Released: March 26, 2021
  • Label: Meant Well
Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now
  • Released: July 12, 2024
  • Label: End Times Music
Singles & Extended Plays
TitleAlbum details
"That Hotel"
  • Released: 2015
  • Formats: Single
"Portland, Maine"
  • Released: 2015
  • Formats: Single
They Are Going Away
  • Released: 2016
  • Formats: EP
"All Mine"
  • Released: 2017
  • Formats: Single
"The Worst Way"
  • Released: 2017
  • Formats: Single
The Wild Honey Pie Buzzsession
  • Released: 2018
  • Formats: Live Sessions
"Way Way Back"
  • Released: 2019
  • Formats: Single
"While All the While"
  • Released: 2019
  • Formats: Single
"IOWA" (with Aoife O'Donovan)
  • Released: May 7, 2021
  • Formats: Single
Big Hurt Boy
  • Released: March 18, 2022
  • Formats: EP
"I'm Around"
  • Released: October 20, 2023
  • Formats: Single
"Back For The Funeral"
  • Released: May 3, 2024
  • Formats: Single

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated WorkResultRef
2021 2021 Canadian Country Music Awards Alternative Country Album of the YearWithout PeopleNominated [26]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Donovan Woods: He'd still like a Grey Cup ring". Toronto Star , November 10, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Donovan Woods Gets Set for New Album: 'Don't Get Too Grand'". Exclaim! , March 1, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Donovan Woods – Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled". Killbeat Music. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Donovan Woods Announces 'Both Ways' LP, Shares New Song". Exclaim! , February 5, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Junos 2019: the complete list of winners". CBC Music, March 16, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Hear Donovan Woods’ New Acoustic Version of ‘Truck Full of Money’". Rolling Stone , April 16, 2019.
  7. ↑ Jon Freeman, "Donovan Woods Details New Album ‘Without People’". Rolling Stone , August 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Singer-songwriter Donovan Woods On His New Album Without People". Wonderland. November 6, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  9. ↑ "'Without People' the new album from Donovan Woods". TotalNtertainment. November 7, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Donovan Woods Champions Independent Creators On With People Project". Shore Fire Media. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  11. ↑ Whitmore, Laura B. (November 5, 2020). "You'll Love the Beauty of Donovan Woods' Touching Album, Without People". Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Donovan Woods - Big Hurt Boy EP". Killbeat Music. March 18, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  13. ↑ Brent Furdyk, "Feel Out Loud: Alessia Cara, Serena Ryder & More Canadian Artists Collaborate On New Single Promoting Youth Mental Health Initiative". Entertainment Tonight Canada , March 2, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Fans may be humming tune to 'Portland, Maine' thanks to Tim McGraw – The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. September 1, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Song by Sarnia native recorded by Tim McGraw". Sarnia Observer , July 30, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Watch Charles Kelley's Mournful 'Leaving Nashville'". Rolling Stone. January 2, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Canadian singer-songwriter Donovan Woods on how to survive in Nashville". The Globe and Mail , March 1, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Warner/Chappell Music Signs Donovan Woods". MusicRow – Nashville's Music Industry Publication – News, Songs From Music City. June 3, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  19. ↑ "2018 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Nominees Revealed". Exclaim! , May 24, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Forever's Gotta Start Somewhere - Chad Brownlee". AllMusic . Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Feels Like That – The Reklaws". AllMusic . Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Toronto folksinger takes on Stompin' Tom Connors – football style". Toronto Star , November 29, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Music from Legacies S1E08". Tunefind. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Donovan Woods opening Sept. 6 show in his hometown". theobserver. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  25. ↑ Dwilson, Stephanie Dube (November 25, 2019). "Hallmark's 'Our Christmas Love Song': Learn Where It Was Filmed, Meet the Cast & See Photos". Heavy.com. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  26. ↑ Colley, Katie (September 21, 2021). "The Reklaws Lead CCMA Awards Nominations With Six: See The Full List". ET Canada . Archived from the original on September 23, 2021.
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