105: Donovan Woods

"If you're not sad you're not paying very much attention."

Donovan Woods has a talent for writing songs that feel like “real life”: Funny and sad at the same time, plain spokenand poetic in the same breath, nostalgic and hopeful at once. As he says, "Two opposing ideas can be true at the same time." 

So it’s no surprise that he named his latest album Both Ways.

He says that when he thinks about it, there’s just “so much sadness”. He says that he loves to watch an audience turn to mush, to make them feel comfortable and then slowly deliver the tragic sense of life. He says he does it by using “tricks of language” that feel familiar and colloquial. He says he developed his confessional style of songwriting, which is generally considered to be country or folk, by listening to hip hop as a kid growing up in Sarnia, Ontario.

There’s a lot about Donovan Woods that makes him an outsider to the Nashville singer songwriter circles in which he often travels, but there’s plenty that puts him right at home there. Particularly, a devotion to highly personal and narrative writing.

Canada is a nation of songwriters. While some countries are known for their products or their politics Canada is known for its songwriters. Well, that and snow and beavers! There has been a long line of songwriters that includes Hank Snow, Gene Maclellan, Gordon Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith.

Massey Hall presents Donovan Woods "Leaving Nashville" live session, a lead-up to the release of Donovan's full-length album "Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled." Pre-orders available now! Catch Donovan on tour this winter across Canada with Matt Andersen, including a date at Massey Hall on March 5th.

"Both Ways" is Donovan Woods' 5th studio album released to critical acclaim on April 20th via Meant Well. For tour dates, visit http://www.DonovanWoods.net Social media links: http://www.facebook.com/donovanwoodsmusic http://www.twitter.com/donovanwoods http://www.instagram.com/donovanwoods *** Exec. Producer: Cherie Sinclair, The Field Inc. Producer: Jacqueline de Niverville Director: Ryley Burghall DOP: Conor Fisher Editor: Brett Rostrup

Canada is a nation of songwriters. While some countries are known for their products or their politics Canada is known for its songwriters. Well, that and snow and beavers! There has been a long line of songwriters that includes Hank Snow, Gene Maclellan, Gordon Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith.

Following his 2016 critically-acclaimed release, "Burn That Bridge" is the first song off Donovan Woods' highly-anticipated new album. "Both Ways" is scheduled to be released April 20, 2018 via Meant Well. Click here to pre-order - https://donovanwoods.lnk.to/bothways For tour dates, visit http://www.DonovanWoods.net Social media links: http://www.facebook.com/donovanwoodsmusic http://www.twitter.com/donovanwoods http://www.instagram.com/donovanwoods *** Exec.

Despite all the tragedy, I think he’s also one of the funniest writers around. Listening to his music, one is constantly toggling between tears of laughter and tears of sadness. At least I am. And talking to Donovan Woods is similar. He’s very a pleasant guy, easy going, down to earth and funny. Sad funny, sure. Bitter funny. Excruciating funny. But funny all the same. 

In this week’s Spotify playlist hear some of the songs we discuss in our conversation. 

Although his songs are custom made to be performed by him (“people say I sound like I’m singing right in their ear”) they have also been recorded by stars like Tim McGraw and Charles Kelley (of Lady Antebellum).

With Donovan Woods, Brooklyn, May 2018.

Donovan came to the Third Story headquarters recently during a run of shows and promotion for his new album. Here he talks about writing songs that feel like real life, the big scam of success (“by the time you get the thing you always wanted, you feel like you deserve it”), how to make it in Nashville, and why Wisconsin is the state most like Canada.

This episode features an introduction by me in conversation with my wife, Amanda.