Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

Oliver Wood has debuted a preview from his forthcoming solo record, Fat Cat Silhouette, due on June 14 via Honey Jar Records/Indirecto Records. “Yo I Surrender” arrives alongside its partnered gold-lit lyrical video, showcasing Wood’s mastery at assembling words that compliment the instrumental delivery. By leaning into the comfortability of Wood’s roots music background, he is able to delve into his experimental side, playing with guitar tones, tapping guests, and taking the listener on a sonic journey that expands upon a foundation the artist has constructed during his career; to propel a sense of artistry over conventionality.  

“This song might’ve been inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Flannery O’Connor. It was mostly written mostly in the studio with Jano Rix on drums, Ted Pecchio on bass and Steve Berlin (from Los Lobos) on Baritone Sax. We captured a simple Band of Gypsies-style groove with some quirky stops and then made a quirky video to match it. I’m proud to say it’s the worst guitar tone I’ve ever gotten (I’m sick of good guitar tones). I also need to mention what a thrill it was to work with Steve Berlin from my favorite band, Los Lobos,” Wood exclusively told Relix. 

Wood’s second solo album, Fat Cat Silhouette, was produced with his Woods Brother bandmate, Jano Rix, who also lent his musical talents on the set by assisting in capturing the desired mystic tonality through percussion and keyboards. Continuing his prior statement, Wood added, “I wanted more percussion and less drums. Once we began experimenting and doing whatever we wanted, the pressure melted away and I felt liberated.”

“I wanted to get outside my box and embrace the uncertainty of what’s out there,” pressed Wood, who went so far as to record on an iPhone in his own backyard on another LP inclusion, “Fortune Drives the Bus.” Apart from the aforementioned number, the remaining cuts were tracked using analog tape, a process the musician deemed perfectly abnormal, given his desired greeting. “Making this album was a process of being immediate, making quick decisions, and trusting that the universe and my years of experience would handle the rest,” Wood added. 

Despite a long list of contributors, including Pecchio, Berlin, and others, the connection between Wood and Rix remains most pertinent: “It required experimentation. Jano and I had to give ourselves permission to just be artists rather than being a part of the music business,” Wood explains. 

Scroll down to watch Wood’s lyrical video for “Yo I Surrender.” Pre-orderFat Cat Silhouette.

1. Light and Sweet

2. Whom I Adore

3. Little Worries

4. Grab Ahold

5. Yo I Surrender

6. Somebody Blues

7. Star in the Corner

8. Have You No Shame (Ft. Katie Pruitt)

9. Fortune Drives The Bus

Oliver Wood Tour Dates:

May 20 – SPACE – Evanston, Ill. +

May 21 – SPACE- Evanston, Ill. +

May 22 – Music Box Supper Club – Cleveland, Ohio +

May 28 – Aladdin Theater  – Portland, Ore.

May 29 – Roxy Ann Winery – Medford, Ore, 

May 30 – Big Ponderoo Festival – Sisters, Ore, 

+ w/ Langhorne Slim