Megan Brown
Staff Writer
The Wood Brothers aren’t concerned with creating music that sounds a specific way — in fact, they find that artistry lies there — and they plan to bring their spontaneous creativity back to Chautauqua at 8:15 p.m. tonight in the Amphitheater.
“If you can approach the music in the studio with that openness and playfulness of a child, you are certainly more present and you’re able to tap into things in your subconscious or things that you might normally judge or discount,” said Oliver Wood, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for The Wood Brothers, who are returning to the grounds after their first Amp performance back in 2021.
Wood’s meditation practice, which he started within the past eight years, allows him to have this approach, not only to life but to music.
“The idea of meditation is to be very present,” said Wood, “and I think we are at our most creative and communicative as musicians when we are present.”
With over 20 years of experience both as a band and as solo artists, The Wood Brothers will now release their ninth studio album Puff of Smoke on Aug. 1. The group has been releasing singles in advance, such as “Witness,” “Pray God Listens” and “The Trick.”
According to Wood, the concept of playfulness played a major role in “The Trick,” which was released June 18.
“That was a song that we really did not have much structure or we just had a very basic idea of how it would go, and so we just tried it without talking much about it,” said Wood.
What they created was unexpected: “I didn’t even play an instrument,” said Wood. “I just was in another room singing while the other two guys made this huge racket. We’re sort of free to really get out there, and that’s the beauty of it.”
The Studio Nashville, where The Wood Brothers recorded the album, has played an influential role on the band over the years. Owned by The Wood Brothers’ recording engineer Brook Sutton, the studio sets the tone for the headspace the band members want to be when recording and creating music.
“It’s a very, very important place because it’s our place and it’s a place that we share with our engineer,” said Wood. “… That building has become sort of a clubhouse for us.”
Whether it’s trying different instruments or techniques, the band works to keep their minds open to the way sounds may shift as they head into the studio.
“If you don’t worry too much about the outcome,” Wood said, “you can tap into some real magic.”
