| Will Wood | |
| Image Upright: | 1.15 |
| Years Active: | 2011– |
| Embed: | no |
| Label: | Say-10 |
| Birth Date: | 26 June 1993 |
| Birth Place: | New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Singer-songwriter, filmmaker, artist, comedian, podcaster |
| Current Members: |
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| Past Members: | Dan Chetnik[2]
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Will Wood is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and comedian.[4] [5] Wood has released five studio albums; Everything is a Lot in 2015, SELF-iSH in 2016, (both released under the name Will Wood and the Tapeworms). The Normal Album in 2020,[6] Camp Here & There: Campfire Songs Edition in 2021, and "in case I make it," in 2022, as well as two live albums.
Wood's piano-led style often changes from one song to the next, drawing influence from folk, pop, jazz, rock and roll, latin music, doo wop and klezmer. He is also known for his unconventional use of tenor and baritone ukulele. When recording in studio or performing live with his band, "The Tapeworms", he has mostly been accompanied by Mike Bottiglieri on guitar, Matt Berger on alto saxophone, Mario Conte on drums, Vater Boris on bass, and Rob Schaefer on trumpet.[1] [7] The band is known for high energy live performances.[8]
Wood primarily performs solo, his shows featuring a combination of music, monologue, and stand-up comedy.[9]
Wood has been described as "reclusive",[10] and is known to avoid social media. Little is known about his personal life, and sources about Wood contain conflicting accounts of even basic information about his personal and professional life.[11] He is also known for early in his career having fictionalized his life, and appearing in character in some press appearances or onstage, and engaging in experimental live performance art, with his acts featuring simulated mental breakdowns, conflict with audience plants, appearances from fictional characters, and intentionally botched performances.[12] His image in pop culture has been heavily influenced by this, but the artist has expressed that his work and persona will continue to change.[13]
Wood has consistently been open about his past struggles with drug addiction and mental illness, having entered recovery early in his career and later being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[14] [15] He has stated he was undiagnosed around the time he turned 30.[16] Wood donated 50% of ticket sales from The Real Will Wood to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, a mental health charity, saying, "I’ve gotten a lot better. I want to try and do something to help others get there."[17]
Wood began releasing music under the eponymous band "Will Wood and the Tapeworms" with two studio albums: Everything is a Lot in 2015, SELF-iSH in 2016, along with the live album The Real Will Wood in 2018, which later served as the soundtrack to the mockumentary concert film of the same name.
In 2019, a crowdfunding campaign began for The Normal Album, which offered invitations to record gang vocals for the album in exchange for support, among other benefits. It raised $27,631 and was released in 2020 under his name.[18] Following the release of The Normal Album, Wood began to attract a more significant fanbase. The album featured Wood's most popular song to date, I/Me/Myself, which has been regarded by some as a source of controversy, due to the song's exploration of Wood's relationship with his gender identity.[19]
In 2021, Will Wood worked on the soundtrack for the fictional horror/comedy podcast Camp Here And There. A "Campfire Songs Edition" of the soundtrack, with lyrical versions of three of the initially instrumental tracks, was released in 2022.
His 2022 release In case I make it, was crowdfunded on Indiegogo in October 2021. Wood has described the collection of songs as being his most personal yet, saying: “I've always tried to consistently re-invent myself as an artist, I think. But this time is different, because for lack of a less dramatic phrase… I've reinvented myself as a person. I couldn’t be more different than I was even a year or two ago."[20]
Six singles from In case I make it, were released prior to the album's full release.[21] [22] In September 2021, prior to the crowdfunding of the album, Wood released the single entitled Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, which would later appear on the album.[20] On June 10, Wood released the single You Liked This (Okay, Computer!), a spoken word black comedy track about social media platforms that pastiches the Radiohead track Fitter Happier, from their 1997 album OK Computer.[23] The track stars voice actress Bev Standing, whose voice was allegedly used by the video-sharing social media platform TikTok for their text-to-speech feature without her consent.[24] Other singles included Tomcat Disposables, Cicada Days, Euthanasia, and White Noise, all of which were accompanied by music videos co-created by Wood. On July 29, the full album was released to positive reviews.[25] [26]
On August 19, 2022, Wood released a single entitled Ferryman with singer-songwriter Shayfer James.[27] This single also appeared on Shayfer James' album Shipwreck released on March 10, 2023.[28]
On September 1, 2022, Wood was featured on the single Wealth & Hellness by Human Zoo.[29] This single was later included on an album by the same name, Wealth & Hellness, released on October 5, 2022.[30]
On January 13, 2023, Wood released the album IN CASE I DIE:, a live compilation of songs recorded at US tour dates in 2022. According to a guest blog post on V13, after the release, he would begin an "indefinite break or possibly retire from [his] music career."[31]
In 2024, Wood announced he would be remixing The Normal Album,[32] and on July 26 released a live demo version of the song 'I / Me / Myself' from 2018 in stereo,[33] showcasing new art,[34] which advertises itself as containing '33% MORE "CONTENT!"', implying the addition of 3 new songs. He later released a single including the 2018 live demos of "Laplace's Angel", "Memento Mori" and "I / Me / Myself". This single also included new art, this time with a message saying "NOW IN RECOVERY! ~plus~ THREE BONUS DIAGNOSES" on the fake sticker, confirming the addition of these three demos as bonus tracks. On August 9, he revealed the final album cover for the remix, with the sticker saying "~13~ MOOD SWINGIN' TUNES & EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS! ~NOW WITH~ 400% MORE HINDSIGHT!" The album was released on YouTube later that day at noon.
| Year | Album | |
|---|---|---|
| "Alma Mater" | 2020 | rowspan="1" |
| "Love, Me Normally" | The Normal Album | |
| "Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People | ) | |
| "...Well, Better Than the Alternative" | ||
| "Mr. Fregoli and the Diathesis-Stress Supermodel, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Con (An Untitled Track)" | rowspan="1" | |
| "Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll" | 2021 | "In case I make it," |
| "Your Body, My Temple" | 2022 | Camp Here & There |
| "Tomcat Disposables" | "In case I make it," | |
| "Cicada Days" | ||
| "You Liked This (Okay, Computer | )" | |
| "Euthanasia" | ||
| "White Noise" | ||
| "I / Me / Myself (2018 Live in Studio Demo)" | 2024 | The New Normal! (The Normal Album 2024 Edit) |
| "Laplace's Angel (2018 Live in Studio Demo)" |