Artist: Wilder Woods
Hometown: Currently: Nashville. Born: Possum Kingdom, South Carolina
Latest Album: FEVER / SKY
What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?
Film and comedy inform a lot about my writing. I feel like art leads culture and the conversations that are maybe less acceptable to have are taken on in those places.
What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?
The first moment I knew I wanted to play music the rest of my life was when I saw the Black Crowes for the first time. I had been dabbling with music at the time, but the combination of rock, gospel, and soul unlocked something for me. I literally bought a Les Paul the next day.
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?
I don’t know if I’d use the word “hide” but I definitely write most of my songs from my own perspective and use a ghost figure in the lyric. A lot of times I try to write a conversation between my subconscious and my “shadow” self, for lack of a better term. The things in this world we know, but can’t seem to grasp in real life is maybe the greatest human struggle.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
Favorite memory from on stage was probably the first time my band sold out our local club. It was a goal that seemed so incredible to me at the time and I remember feeling like I had really made it… Like I belonged.
Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?
I think the artist that made the biggest impact on me coming up was a band called Jump Little Children. They were a local act that made it out and were able to tour the country and have people sing the words back. I’ll never forget the feeling that if they can do it, why can’t we?
Photo Credit: Darius Fitzgerald
