Duncan Woods: my talented cousin!

Good morning, everyone! I'd like to introduce you to my cousin - singer/songwriter, Duncan Woods.

Duncan grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe, and left when the political troubles started to encroach on his family's life - a couple of years before we left. We spent a lot of time together as children and have always been very close, although we haven't seen each other for a few years now - those damn air fares! I really genuinely love his music, too, and am so proud of him for following his dream so fearlessly and striking out on his own path. I highly recommend downloading his album (details are below): it will make you smile.

When did you first start writing your own songs?

I actually started writing songs with a couple of friends from school when I was about 16. They were largely based around the life and death of a Zebra called "Zebby"; those early days writing ridiculous songs sparked my passion for songwriting which came later at about 18.

What inspires you - particularly when it comes to your lyrics?

Most of my lyrics are inspired by personal experience, and the conflicts of the soul that I experience day to day. I have felt that I can't comment on external issues until I've explored what makes me tick. In this album [Together on the Road] there are only two songs which aren't completely personal to me, but even they are, to an extent, inspired by personal experience. Only recently have I felt comfortable enough to start writing about the things I see happening around me, and subsequently my writing has changed a lot since the recording of my album, so it will be interesting to see how I would answer this question after my next release.

Do you have any heroes or role models in your field? Who are they, and why?

This is a difficult question, as I have so many that have influenced me and inspired me, but the two that spring right to my mind are Bob Marley, and Dallas Green (City and Colour). Bob Marley's message rings really clear with me, and the way that he lived has helped me to find so much meaning in music. Dallas Green is a Canadian singer/songwriter who is only now becoming very recognised. Dallas' songwriting is so true to himself that it helps me to understand myself better, and I think that's where his power as a songwriter lies. I think the hardest thing as a singer/songwriter is transferring your true thoughts and feelings into your music. Both of these artists have helped me to access that side of myself, and that is why they are heroes to me.

Can you describe your journey as a musician for us? What brought you to this point?

Busking and singing out of tune were some of my favourite activities when I was about 15, since then I had no qualms being in the spotlight. Once I was shown a few chords on a guitar it opened up a whole new world to me. I spent hours just playing the same chords over and over again while watching TV, and then it all just kept going from there. When I was in the UK backpacking with some friends I met the producer of the album by chance in a small pub. That is when things all got a bit more serious and I decided to return to the UK to start recording. While all this was happening I had started getting into live cover-gigs at restaurants and pubs. This is where I truly found my feet as a muso and really got the confidence to perform, as I was doing this twice and sometimes three times a week and supporting myself financially with my music. I'm now at a point where I want to expand on my own original songs and really try and explore different cities to get myself heard.

What was it like recording your first album?

Because we had literally unlimited access to the studio at no costs, it had the benefit of not feeling pressured to rush production along for fear of mounting costs, but it also caused the production process to be extremely slow, as we were putting off certain aspects of the process purely because we figured "next week will be better for vocals" or "my hand is sore from rock climbing let's record the guitar tracks tomorrow." Because of the slow process it meant that we were actually rushed to finish and were forced to cut some songs from the album which was disappointing. Aside from that the actual process was great, and working with Richard Dyer was a pleasure. We genuinely had a blast recording. Paired with recording my first album was the experience of living in the UK on my own. At times it was tough but I had the support of my grandparents which was invaluable. The whole process was a huge learning curve but overall it has helped me to realise my passion, and for that I am so grateful.

Duncan's first release: Together on the Road.

How has the response been so far?

The album launch itself was a really great night. Since then I've had some genuinely positive feedback from some unexpected sources which is really encouraging. I've yet to send a bulk order to my producer who has a list of UK fans from his local city of Portsmouth, so it will be interesting to see how it is received in the UK compared to here in Australia.

Where can people purchase your album?

The album is available for download from most of the main online retailers (Amazon, iTunes, Napster, Last.fm, Rhapsody and CDBaby.net) It is also available for download on my Facebook page.

Unfortunately hard copies are not yet available online - these can only be bought at my live gigs. However, if the demand increases then I will certainly be making them available to be posted internationally!

Any live gigs coming up?

I will be performing a 45-minute slot on the internet radio station "Indie Showcase" (which is in partnership with AwesomeRadio.net) on the 15th of January. This will be streamed live to air internationally, and will also be available via podcast on my Facebook page.

Following that, I am planning on booking a string of live shows in Sydney through March, and then in Melbourne during April and May with my band.