A Chat with Will Wood (20.07.22)
Known for his ever-changing sound, singer-songwriter Will Wood is a bit of an enigma and not to be pigeon-holed. We speak with the musician about his new single ‘White Noise’, favourite meals, future plans and more.
OSR: Why did you decide to pursue music as a career?
Wood: They weren’t hiring at Jo-Ann and Hobby Lobby rejected my application due to a four-year employment gap I couldn’t properly explain.
OSR: What and/or who inspires you to make music?
Wood: When I’m angry or afraid writing can sometimes help me process it. Maybe? I actually don’t know if writing has been any help. It might just be that anger and fear help the writing but not the other way around. But yeah, that stuff. And when rodents die.
OSR: What can you tell us about your single ‘White Noise’?
Wood: It’s the closing track on my upcoming album, In case I make it, which drops on all major streaming platforms on 29th July. It’s one of the first songs I wrote when I picked up the ukulele, and I hired a 16-person classical choir in Bulgaria and conducted them over a Zoom call to get a recording of them erroneously claiming white noise cures cancer. I’m surprised nobody seems to be talking about the awful scar on the back of my head.
OSR: Is there a particular theme in the single?
Wood: I feel like the song is sort of about finding meaning in something you thought was meaningless and finding meaninglessness in something you thought was meaningful. If that makes any sense or isn’t so lofty it makes you roll your eyes right out of your head. Maybe sort of about chronic feelings of emptiness.
OSR: What do you feel makes you unique as an artist?
Wood: I sometimes feel like an “outsider artist” who got yanked “inside”. I think what makes me unique, if anything, is the fact that I don’t put a great deal of stock in my own success. At least not in the conventional sense of the word. I just write what moves me and what I think will reach people who need to hear what I need to say, ya know? I’m really only qualified to write what I know, so I don’t bother trying to make marketable music or even smart business decisions. I’m just in it for the self-indulgent joy of creativity and the hope that the people who are meant to get it, get it.
OSR: If you could change anything about ‘White Noise’, what would it be and why?
Wood: Maybe a key change in the last chorus would’ve been cool. Though that could put it over the top, I don’t know. It’s already pretty close to the top.
OSR: Would you rather be rich or famous?
Wood: Fame, as far as I can tell, seems to be a terrible thing to have happen to you. I went mildly viral on TikTok and my mental health has been rapidly deteriorating ever since. I can’t imagine what actually famous people experience. I’ll go with rich for sure.
OSR: If you had to name one thing that makes you stand out from others, what would that be?
Wood: My girlish figure and love of Victorian bird hats.
OSR: What is your favourite meal?
Wood: One that makes me feel ill due to its sheer size.
OSR: Do you have future plans as a musician?
Wood: Not really. To be honest, I think I need to stop having plans for a while, you know?
Many thanks to Will Wood for speaking with us. For more from Will Wood check out his official website, Instagram and Spotify.
