DONOVAN WOODS ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, SHARES FIRST SINGLE “ROSEMARY”

DONOVAN WOODS NEW ALBUM, THINGS WERE NEVER GOOD IF THEY’RE NOT GOOD NOW, OUT JULY 12 VIA END TIMES MUSIC

PRE-SAVE THINGS WERE NEVER GOOD IF THEY’RE NOT GOOD NOW HERE

WATCH / SHARE “ROSEMARY” HERE
BUY / STREAM “ROSEMARY” HERE

U.S. TOUR DATES WITH DREW HOLCOMB BEGIN APRIL 2024

Photo Credit: Brittany Farhat // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Throughout his distinguished career, Donovan Woods has built a devoted following who cling to the JUNO Award winning songwriter’s every word. Never one to mince them, Woods is one of music’s most vulnerable storytellers and on his forthcoming studio album, Donovan takes that a step further. Honest and unflinching, on Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now, his upcoming seventh studio album, due July 12 via End Times Music, Woods takes a long look inside and isn’t necessarily thrilled with what he sees. For an artist who isn’t afraid to bear his soul, this is as emotionally gritty as he has ever been.

Today, Woods has shared a first taste from the record, with the single “Rosemary” along with a video, co-written with Connor Seidel. Discussing the song he states:

“Have you ever had a fight by text message? And it’s long, and existential. Someone did something wrong and maybe that’s it. Maybe the bond can’t be repaired. Well this song is about returning home to someone after having one of those, and offering yourself up. It’s about finally admitting all your faults, showing your actual self and asking, can you still love me? And really wanting an answer either way.”

WATCH / SHARE “ROSEMARY” HERE
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As Woods notes with “Rosemary”, Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now is about honesty; honesty with others, but also perhaps more importantly, being honest with yourself. Taking the time to stop running, and owning up to mistakes, faults, regrets. Not to beat yourself up about them, but rather to face them, accept them, learn from them, and to move forward. Hopefully a better, stronger and more open person.

Long known as a masterful storyteller, Woods is at his absolute best on Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now. Across the album’s 12 sparse, intimate songs, Woods finds himself reflecting on the ups and downs he has been through since 2020, when he dropped his acclaimed last album, the breakthrough Without People. Through his songwriting, Woods opens up and addresses the complexities of life, and all that he has been going through. 

He notes, this album serves as “a funeral to the life I was living.”

Co-produced with longtime collaborator James Bunton over much of 2023, the album’s delicate nature is reflected in its lyrics. The psychology of people’s actions always fascinated Woods and informs much of the record. Focusing on carefree, celebratory feelings has never necessarily appealed to him. Many of the songs that comprise Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now focus on the intricacies of friendships and relationships, looking at the little moments in life, and hopefully, eventually taking joy in them.

Woods was joined in the studio by a number of friends, along with co-writing “Rosemary” with Seidel, “Back For The Funeral” was co-written with Lori McKenna and Matt Nathanson. “I’m Just Trying To Get Home” with Amy Wadge and Matt Prime, and featuring William Prince. And “When Our Friends Come Over” is a gorgeous duet written and performed with Madi Diaz.

As Donovan continues to work on himself, Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now is the portrait of a songwriter at his creative best. Addressing the truths and pains of life is never easy, and here, he does so in a way that’s brutally honest.

Woods will head back out on the road this spring across the U.S. supporting songwriter Drew Holcomb. All dates below. Tickets available at: www.donovanwoods.net/tour

PRE-SAVE THINGS WERE NEVER GOOD IF THEY’RE NOT GOOD NOW HERE

2024 TOUR DATES:
04/03 – Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall
04/04 – Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine
04/05 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
04/06 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
04/09 – Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Amphitheater
04/10 – Washington, DC @ The 9:30 Club
04/11 – Fairfield, CT @ The Warehouse
04/12 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
04/14 – Bethlehem, PA @ Musikfest Café
04/15 – Columbus, OH @ The Bluestone
04/16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Ballroom
04/18 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
04/19 – St. Louis, MO @ The Hawthorn
04/25 – Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
04/26 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
04/27 – Dallas, TX @ Longhorn Ballroom
04/28 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre
04/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads Saloon
05/01 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
05/03 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
05/04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Commonwealth
05/06 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
05/07 – Seattle WA @ Neptune Theater
05/09 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
05/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theater
05/12 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
05/14 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
05/18 – Nashville, TN @ The Ryman
w/ Drew Holcomb

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THINGS WERE NEVER GOOD IF THEY’RE NOT GOOD NOW
01. Rosemary
02. 116 West Main, Durham, NC 
03. Trompsingel (Another Life)
04. It’s Been Like That For A While
05. Living Well 
06. Well Read
07. Back For The Funeral
08. Don’t Talk to Her at Night
09. I’m Just Trying To Get Home (feat. William Prince)
10. When Our Friends Come Over (feat. Madi Diaz)
11. All Raked Flat

DONOVAN WOODS ONLINE
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DAVID VERTESI’S NEW ALBUM, FICTIONALIZED, OUT TODAY, SHARES NEW VIDEO

WATCH / SHARE “AGE OF CELEBRITY” HERE

DAVID VERTESI’S NEW LP, FICTIONALIZED, OUT TODAY ON TINY KINGDOM

BUY / STREAM FICTIONALIZED HERE
BUY FICTIONALIZED VINYL LP HERE

"The most all-encompassing collection of songs from David Vertesi yet, Fictionalized finds the Canadian music lynchpin tackling a concept album of sorts, following the pandemic-era collective spiral to its deepest point." Exclaim! | Most Anticipated Albums of 2024

“A man completely intertwined with Canada’s indie-rock scene, David Vertesi has racked up three solo albums to go along with his work playing and producing alongside acts like Hey Ocean, Said the Whale, Hannah Georgas, and Haley Blais over the last 15 years."
RANGE Magazine | Most Anticipated Albums of 2024

Photo Credit : Justin Broadbent // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

For more than fifteen years, David Vertesi has worked with some of Canada’s most exciting indie-rock projects. First and foremost as a founding member of JUNO Award-nominated west coast staple, Hey Ocean!, while also having played live with artists like Shad, Said The Whale, Dear Rouge, and Hannah Georgas. More recently you will find him producing for emerging favourites like Haley Blais, Noble Son, Riun Garner and more. As a songwriter and producer, Vertesi always brings a uniquely sensuous and brooding sensibility, an intricate sonic depth that multiplies the layers of a song.

Today, his new album Fictionalized, is available everywhere, and in celebration, the acclaimed songwriter is sharing the new video for “Age Of Celebrity”, a song “about returning to music post-pandemic and post Hey Ocean!,” says Vertesi. “Things have changed a lot since I was starting out in this industry, and I often feel like my experience doesn't do much other than make me jaded. The thing I really miss is the pure enjoyment and self-confidence I had when I was just setting out. I'm doing my best to find it again.”

WATCH / SHARE “AGE OF CELEBRITY” HERE

MORE ABOUT DAVID VERTESI
In his solo work, these dramatic flairs ignite on full display. Across a spectrum of rough-and-tumble and tightly polished sounds, Vertesi emerges as a centre-stage, dusty spotlight balladeer, a close-to-the-chest storyteller as the narrative core of his songwriting revolves in stories of confusion, loneliness, instability, death, and existential ennui. Across 2010’s Cardiography, 2016’s Sad Dad Cruise Ship, and 2020’s Life Ghouls, Vertesi interrogates these somber questions with tender poetry and a sense of humour. 

His latest LP Fictionalized, is the clearest synthesis of his wide-ranging pop philosophy yet. Effectively a concept album on the collective spiraling of the pandemic years through an intensely personal lens, Vertesi crafts the most potent and memorable melodies of his career. With featured performances from a lineup of some of Vancouver’s brightest talents: Jordan Klassen, Haley Blais, Jill Barber, and Sam Lynch, plus co-production from the likes of Jonathan Anderson (Andy Shauf, Aidan Knight), Klassen (Dear Rouge, Jillian Lake) and Daniel Klenner (Peach Pit, Babe Corner), Fictionalized marks a new and defined landscape for Vertesi. As powerful and personal as he’s ever been, as cathartic and kind as he’s ever appeared. 

WATCH / SHARE “MIND READER” FT. JILL BARBER
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Throughout his work, Vertesi has made clear that he brings an equal command to choreographing lush and buzzing technologic atmospheres of instrumentation or squeezing the naked emotional heart out of a piano, a steady bass drum, the soft rhythm of a guitar, a choir of harmonies. But it’s his own voice that distinguishes his music, a growling inimitable baritone that deepens his playful work and further darkens his more haunted questions. It’s easy to hear why he draws comparisons to names like Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and Lou Reed and easy to see why Vertesi has emerged from his collaborative role into a fully formed front-man of his own musical expression.

BUY / STREAM FICTIONALIZED HERE
BUY FICTIONALIZED VINYL LP HERE

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FICTIONALIZED TRACKLIST
01 One Day We Woke Up And The World Was Gone
02 Who Am I Now
03 Age Of Celebrity
04 My Parents (ft. Sam Lynch)
05 Fictionalized
06 One In A Million (ft. Jordan Klassen)
07 Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
08 Mind Reader (ft. Jill Barber)
09 Note To Self
10 That’s What’s Up (ft. Haley Blais)

TOUR DATES
March 20, Frank Venables Theaters, Oliver, BC *
March 21, Creekside Theatre, Lake Country, BC *
April 12, Wise Hall, Vancouver, BC

* Supporting Sarah Harmer.

DAVID VERTESI ONLINE
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HOVVDY SHARE NEW SINGLE “MEANT”

HOVVDY’S SELF-TITLED, DOUBLE ALBUM OUT APRIL 26 ON ARTS & CRAFTS

LISTEN / SHARE “MEANT” HERE
BUY / STREAM “MEANT” HERE

PRE-SAVE HOVVDY HERE

Photo Credit: Taylor Clark // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, beloved Texas duo, Hovvdy, share “Meant”, the dynamic new single from their recently announced self-titled double album, Hovvdy, due April 26th on Arts & Crafts. 

“‘Meant’ reflects on how the most impactful love one can offer is consistency; particularly when life is complicated or derailed. It’s a song of gratitude for receiving that kind of love,” Will Taylor explains.

LISTEN / SHARE “MEANT” HERE
BUY / STREAM “MEANT” HERE

The band’s fifth album is a statement piece that finds Charlie Martin and Will Taylor at the height of their powers, broadening the scope of their songwriting and adding new wrinkles to their sound, creating something wholly unique and exhilarating. The collection centers Hovvdy’s creative maturation in a true co-production between the band, Andrew Sarlo (Bon Iver, Big Thief), and Bennett Littlejohn (bassist, multi-instrumentalist).

The album’s singles “Forever”, “Jean”, “Bubba”, and “Portrait” have collectively received praise from Pitchfork, Billboard, The FADER, PAPER Magazine, Consequence, Nylon, Stereogum, Paste, UPROXX, Brooklyn Vegan, Under The Radar, and more. 

Hovvdy’s exploratory catalog has earned them status as a quiet favorite of rising stars – seen last year as Zach Bryan expressed admiration for Hovvdy’s album True Love, indie supergroup boygenius listed it as an inspiration for their record, and beabadoobee named Hovvdy as one of her favorite artists.

WATCH / SHARE “JEAN” HERE
BUY / STREAM “JEAN” HERE

MORE ABOUT HOVVDY:
Hovvdy fits with the comfortable confidence of faded blue jeans. The collection taps familial bonds, tested relationships, and what Will calls “lifelong imprints,” viewed at hindsight’s distance. 

“It’s a full circle, because lots of my songs, in adulthood, deal with looking back and seeing your parents as just individuals struggling through life – and trying to have more empathy or understanding. And now Will is diving in from the opposite side as a new parent, grappling with all that,” says Charlie. 

“On this album, we tried to really step back and look at: How can we convey our songwriting in a new way?” says Will. “It challenged the songs we brought, and it challenged me to be more vulnerable.”

“We’re trying to stretch out and create a tapestry of everything we can do,” says Charlie. 

WATCH / SHARE “PORTRAIT” HERE

For the expansive double album, the duo went all in with frequent collaborators Andrew Sarlo and Bennett Littlejohn. All four were present for each session in hideaways across the U.S. An unprecedented focus on live takes further peeled the band’s early slowcore layers to show dazzling dynamic range, from the country feel of “Portrait” to the bombastic drums of “Meant.” “We really wanted to encapsulate what it felt like to be in the room when we're playing,” says Will. 

An initial meetup at a log cabin in Black Mountain, North Carolina, revamped Hovvdy’s past lo-fi techniques to playfully catch up with their current craft. Will was surrounded with iPhones and field recorders to capture the southern spin of “Portrait.” Another AirDrop experiment, the vocals of “Angel” find Charlie walking along a babbling creek. A car alarm goes off, just in key, balancing atmospheric clatter and ASMR-level closeness. These intimate moments shift seamlessly into the huge, celebratory statements of character-driven singles like “Jean” and “Forever,” just buzzing in the storytellers’ energy. 

Deepening the album’s zoom-in on the years since leaving their home state, further sessions landed at family homes near Dallas. With Will now based in Nashville, and Charlie in St. Louis, Texas remains a meeting point. The felted keys of an upright piano borrowed from Charlie’s mom, a piano teacher herself, anchor throughout. Bennett’s Wurlitzer 200A joins the Auto-Tune and electronic flourishes stamped on past Hovvdy co-productions with Sarlo, including True Love (2021) and billboard for my feelings (2022). Skittering programmed drums keep pace on bright spots like “Bubba” and “Every Exchange,” stringing the album’s hell-bent dash towards deeper interpersonal understanding, a timeless pursuit. 

WATCH / SHARE “FOREVER” HERE
BUY / STREAM “FOREVER” HERE

Tempos wander as the duo explores time – earned, lost, and given to others. While the band’s prior LP, True Love, splashed in new marriages and parenthood, the self-titled album looks at long-term ties twisted and strengthened, sometimes amidst grief and addiction. Charlie narrates sibling support in “Bubba,” where a brother promises, “I’ll get a goddamn grip, hold onto it for a while.” The record also recounts a visit to Mississippi, where Charlie stayed with family during the loss of his grandfather. “‘Make Ya Proud,’ I wrote while he was in the hospital, and ‘Song for Pete,’ I wrote that the day he passed,” says Charlie. 

A breath, three evenings, or six days’ unemployment – so many spans softly cut the album like pencil marks. Father to a three-year-old, Will holds a special interest in bottling time. He strives to savor moments over the giddy breakbeat of “Every Exchange,” while twangy closer “A Little” measures out regrets over love gone ignored. “That's what makes being a parent so difficult – it immediately exposes all the things you haven't dialed in about yourself,” says Will. “Looking at the record, it’s interesting that we both have these unique perspectives on the challenges that come with family.”

Never staying still too long, Hovvdy’s milestone self-titled album easily folds introspection into their big, fearless choruses so cherished by live audiences. Always guided with a gentle hand, the listener lands right there in the room, to witness the spontaneous synchronicity of Charlie and Will’s shared songcraft. Seeing the duo trade off on vocals for the first time since their 2017 debut Taster, single “Bad News” revels in the years of growth. In the Texas-accented thrum, harnessing Hovvdy’s quintessential chug, Will sings: “You know time is all I have to give up.”

PRE-SAVE HOVVDY HERE

TOUR DATES:
5/21/2024 - Glasgow, UK @ King Tut's
5/22/2024 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
5/23/2024 - Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute
5/24/2024 - London, UK @ Lafayette
5/25/2024 - Bristol, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
5/26/2024 - Nottingham, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
5/28/2024 - Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
5/29/2024 - Paris, France @ Pop Up du Label
5/30/2024 - Utrecht, Netherlands @ Ekko
5/31/2024 - Hamburg, Germany @ Nochtwache
6/01/2024 - Berlin, Germany @ Prachtwerk

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HOVVDY TRACKLIST
1. Intro
2. Bubba
3. Jean
4. Big Blue
5. Shell
6. Forever Piano
7. Forever
8. Heartstring
9. Clean
10. Make Ya Proud
11. Til I Let You Know
12. Meant
13. Song For Pete
14. Every Exchange
15. Give It Up
16. Portrait
17. Angel
18. Bad News
19. A Little

HOVVDY ONLINE
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