Donovan Woods Photo Credit : Briony Douglas // DOWNLOAD HI-RES
Aoife O’Donovan Photo Credit : Rich Gilligan
Today, Donovan Woods is sharing the new single “IOWA” which was co-written and performed with Grammy Award winning artist Aoife O’Donovan. Woods says the song is “about the duality of places; the natural beauty, and the people. It’s about dreaming of somewhere you know doesn’t exist. I wrote the first verse thinking about driving through new places on tour and dreaming about what my life would be like if I lived there. I pride myself on my blue-collar raising. I feel like I fit in anywhere. In America, I’m often swiftly reminded that I don’t. I sent the verse to Aoife and explained what I was trying to get at. She sent back a dreamy chorus that did all the things I love about her artistry. It was flowing and phrased in such a lovely way. We did a zoomer and finished the rest of it together.”
Upon hearing the first verse and reading a few of the stories that Woods had sent over, Aoife says “it reminded me so much of missing the open road, touring, and everything associated with that – everything, really. I started to imagine those Great Plains the way I would see them on tour – covered with tall grass and wildlife. The rest of the song just fell into place.”
WATCH AND SHARE “IOWA” VISUALIZER HERE
BUY / STREAM “IOWA” HERE
“IOWA” SINGLE ART // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Recently, Donovan Woods released the deluxe version of his critically acclaimed 2020 album, Without People. It’s an album that ranks as Woods’ most successful release with more than 18 million streams and climbing.
The deluxe album includes a song that fans have been craving since the Without People album was released, a full version of the radio-ready interlude "When The Party's Over”, written with Tom Douglas (John Michael Montgomery, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert) and Travis Wood (James Barker Band, The Reklaws and Banners). It also boasts the never-before-heard song "Break Somebody’s Heart” which is storytelling at its finest, honing in on specific small town life moments that teach greater lessons of love and loss.
WATCH AND SHARE “WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER” HERE
“Grew Apart”, a song that Woods recorded solo and with country artist Logan Mize and has accumulated over 20 million streams, gets a haunting piano rendition on the deluxe edition, cutting right to the bone. Then, an acoustic interpretation of “Whatever Keeps You Going” pairs Woods with the pure voices of the J.P. Robarts Public School Music Project in London, ON.
WATCH AND SHARE “WHATEVER KEEPS YOU GOING”
FEATURING J.P. ROBARTS P.S. MUSIC PROJECT CHILDREN’S CHOIR
For an album made so piecemeal, Without People was listed in the Top 50 Albums Of 2020 by The Line of Best Fit and album single “She Waits For Me To Come Back Down” hit #1 on CBC Music’s Top 20 charts. Exclaim! said that Without People “pushes pop to its introspective limits,” while other outlets claim it “strikes a gentle, poignant note” (Billboard), it’s “a nuanced experience” (American Songwriter), and a thoughtful exploration of “fleeting interpersonal moments now under the microscope,” (NPR/KUTX).
BUY / STREAM WITHOUT PEOPLE (DELUXE)
PRAISE FOR DONOVAN WOODS
“Woods' brand of folk-pop is both grand and unassuming” – The Line of Best Fit
“Donovan Woods is no stranger to making music that tugs at the heart-strings.” - The FADER
"He’s got a knack for slice-of-life storytelling that blends heartache and hooks." - Rolling Stone
“Capturing the early optimism of new-found love, the singer pours his heart out for this emotional and moving tune.” - Wonderland
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