Published: August 4, 2009 6:47 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight August 2009 Edition
Birds in the Woods
Birds in the Woods Photo by Brit Woollard Photoshoot
Music Fans will flip over the musical style of Birds in the Woods. They have created a unique & funky sound that mixes elements of Funk, Acoustics, Rock, and Jam music into one melodious sound. The band's soon to be released CD titled "Some Thing Knew?" is a combination of excellent songwriting and creative flows. Lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist George Woods adds strong vocals to the band.
Add the wonderful talents of musicians Sue Buzzard on violin, Tyreek Jackson on bass, and Massimo Buonanno on drums, music fans will have a wonderful and exciting experience that will redefine the definition of music. Check out this recent spotlight with George Woods from Birds in the Woods in this special spotlight.
Isaac: What has been the best part of 2009 for you musically so far?
George: The best part of this year has probably been putting together our debut album "Some Thing Knew?". It took a lot of time, effort, money and tweaking, but the result is something we are very proud of.
Isaac: What do you feel has been the biggest accomplishment for 2009 so far?
George: Well, we are still in the midst of it. Getting out the album.
Isaac: Describe the music scene in Boston.
George: Boston's scene is catered mostly to recent graduates and "drinking age" college kids. It's an easier gig for a cover band, but if you can make people dance and have a good time then you are sure to start a good thing.
Isaac: What has been the best venue to perform at and why?
George: I'd say that the two best venues in the area that I know of are Cafe 939 on Boylston Street in Back Bay, and Great Scott in Allston MA (15 minutes west on the train). They both are easy to get to and have awesome sound, and they are good sized venues for about 100 to 200 people.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?
George: The bands influences are all across the board. My favorite story to illustrate this is about one of our rehearsals. I was the first person to show up and start setting things up. Now to give you an idea, we play thoughtful songwriter music that has a jazz and funk edge. The actual tag line isn't yet perfected but right now we are working with Fusion/Funk Soul/Rock. Like Herbie Hankcock meets DMB. Anyway that being said, Tyreek, our bassist comes into rehearsal listening to "sacrifice a goat" death metal music and puts it on the speakers.
I'm sitting here listening to this thinking "Yeah! This is intense!" and then our violinist, Sue, walks in and hears this and almost passes out from nausea. She turns it off and puts on the sound track to "Phantom of the Opera - the original movie cast recordings". Granted, it's a stark contrast and a little cheesy but damn that girl plays the violin. So we finally get to practicing a little bit and then Massimo, our drummer, dances into the room listening to Prince. Some how it seems I have managed to assemble 4 musicians who hail from completely contrasting backgrounds and managed to get them all to play together so well that we can write songs on stage together in front of an audience.
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?
George: I like to think that the music we create is something that people can dance to and really feel down deep. The music is eclectic and calls on many different genres and feels yet has a core song that tells a story and draws people in. If I think I can bring anything to the industry its high quality original music that connects with people via emotional performance, person-ability, and a good hook.
A lot of the people who listen to our music and like what we do are people who are searching for a fresh outlet and find themselves board with conventional presentations of whatever medium they are interested in. We have fans of our band who say they primarily listen to symphonic death metal, but still come to our shows and rock out with us anyway, because they like our attention to our craft and they appreciate our continual strive for originality in a familiar context.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?
George: I think this actually changes for me over time but right now I would say British singer/songwriter David Gray. 1) He's British and that is awesome. 2) He is one of the greatest writers around right now. The way he uses words and phrasing is unreal he should be given a Pulitzer Prize. 3) I think not only would I learn an amazing amount from the experience, but also hopefully it would be in England and I want to tour that country so bad it's ridiculous.
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
George: I tell them that we play Acoustic Funk/Fusion. James Brown meets Dave Matthews Band.
Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from fans about your music?
George: I would never say this personally but two people have said this on separate occasions. And I Quote "You guys are like Dave Matthews Band if they were good!" I think that's a little harsh on Dave, but I didn't say it they did. The other feedback that we have gotten is always that fans have trouble really pinpointing the sound to one or two genres but that they love the fresh sound.
Isaac: What can fans expect from you in the next five years?
George: More good music, regional, national touring, College Radio airplay, Festivals, Secret live album recording sessions, and at least 1.5 more albums.
Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans…
George: Big shout out to Shane O'Connor our recording engineer. He is Pleasure to work with and a great supporter of his artists. You can check him out at www.shaneoconnorrecording.com without our parents friends family and fans none of what we do is possible. We love you very much because you love and support our dreams!
Isaac: Final words…
George: Music is a considerably difficult profession and it takes a lot of hard work. But it is nothing but love. Go into it with love and continue in it with love, and you will find that it is easier than it seems.
