Woodpecker Wooliams Explained

Woodpecker Wooliams
Birth Name:Gemma Williams
Instrument:voice, harp, analogue synths and noise
Years Active:2009–2013

Woodpecker Wooliams was the musical moniker of Brighton, UK-based musician Gemma Williams. She produced music as Woodpecker Wooliams from 2009 to 2013, releasing the studio albums Diving Down (2009) and The Bird School of Being Human (2012). Williams has since worked on Becky Becky with Peter J D Mason.[1]

History

Woodpecker Wooliams, consisting of voice, harp, analogue synths and 'noise', began in 2009 after Williams' midwifery training was interrupted by "a sudden and severe illness".[2] [3] [4]

An album called The Bird School of Being Human was released on Robot Elephant Records in September 2012, co-produced with Marcus Hamblett.[5] [6] [7] It was described by The Sunday Times as "a stunning find",[8] and "musically and emotionally belting" in a BBC Music review. In 2012 Woodpecker Wooliams was The Guardians "New band of the Day".[9] Woodpecker Wooliams performed a live radio session in 2013 for Tom Robinson's BBC Radio 6 show.[10] Music from this album, and the earlier Diving Down (2009) was played on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction show, by Rob da Bank on BBC Radio 1, and BBC Radio 6 Music programmes including Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone and BBC Music Introducing.[11]

In 2013 Woodpecker Wooliams performed at the Yoko Ono-curated Meltdown festival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall supporting Cibo Matto.[12] Woodpecker Wooliams toured numerous headline tours around Germany, Denmark, Italy, Russia and The Baltics between 2010 and 2013.[13] [14]

Woodpecker Wooliams collaborated with several other musicians, including lending featured guest vocals to the lead single "Meltdown" from Ghostpoet's sophomore album Some Say I So I Say Light;[15] [16] [17] harp on the track "Fire" for the Emanative album The Light Years Of The Darkness;[18] and guest vocals (with Rag'n'Bone Man) on Button Eyes' single "Simple Days", performed live for BBC's Radio 4 programme Loose Ends.[19] [20]

The final Woodpecker Wooliams performance was at the End of The Road festival in 2013. Williams announced the "death" of the project on her website in September 2013.[21] [22]

Discography

Albums

Singles

EPs

Soundtracks

Live albums

Compilation album appearances

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2019-08-08. CD: Becky Becky – Good Morning, Midnight. The Arts Desk.
  2. http://www.m-magazine.co.uk/newmusic/30seconds/30-seconds-interview-woodpecker-wooliams/ 30 Seconds Interview: Woodpecker Wooliams - M Magazine M magazine: PRS for Music online magazine - PRS for Music Online Magazine
  3. Web site: The Spirit of the Harp: An Interview with Gemma Williams of Woodpecker Wooliams. 2012-03-08. ANOBIUM. 2019-01-03.
  4. Web site: 2019-08-08. Woodpecker Wooliams . The Argus (Brighton).
  5. Web site: Everett True | Song of the day - 485: Woodpecker Wooliams . Collapse Board . 2012-07-29 . 2013-04-21.
  6. News: Ones To Watch: Eddi Front to Big Black Delta | | Independent Editor's choice Blogs . https://web.archive.org/web/20120807162945/http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/08/06/ones-to-watch-eddi-front-to-big-black-delta/ . dead . August 7, 2012 . The Independent . 2012-08-06 . 2013-04-21 . London . David . Newbury.
  7. Web site: Music - Review of Woodpecker Wooliams - The Bird School of Being Human . BBC . 2013-04-21.
  8. News: Pop, Rock & Jazz, Sept 16. Davis. Mark Edwards, Dan Cairns, Stewart Lee, Clive. 2012-09-16. The Sunday Times. 2019-01-03. 0956-1382.
  9. News: Paul . Lester . New band of the day: Woodpecker Wooliams (No 1,345) . The Guardian . 2012-09-06. 2013-04-21 . London.
  10. Web site: BBC Radio 6 Music - The Tom Robinson Show, 05/01/2013, Woodpecker Wooliams in session for Tom Robinson. BBC. 2019-01-03.
  11. Web site: Woodpecker Wooliams - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music. BBC. 2019-01-07.
  12. Web site: In Pictures: Yoko Ono's Meltdown Festival. 2013-06-23. Londonist. 2019-01-03.
  13. Web site: CONCERTS ARCHIVE. Tumblr. 2019-01-03.
  14. Web site: Woodpecker Wooliams on tour with Fiona Sally Miller. Willkommen Records. 2019-01-03.
  15. Web site: Fortitude Magazine Ghostpoet Announces 'Meltdown' Single - Fortitude Magazine. www.fortitudemagazine.co.uk. 2019-01-03.
  16. Web site: 2019-08-08. Reviews: Ghostpoet: Some Say I So I Say Light. The Quietus.
  17. Web site: Anthony. Walker. 2019-08-08. Ghostpoet - Meltdown. DummyMag.
  18. Web site: The Attic: Bandcamp pick of the week: Emanative - The Light Years Of The Darkness. The Attic. 2019-01-03.
  19. Web site: New Noise: Button Eyes. 2015-03-16. Wonderland. 2019-01-03.
  20. Web site: BBC Radio 4 - Loose Ends, Louis Theroux, Engelbert Humperdinck, Steve Brown, Tracy Chevalier, Arthur Smith, Button Eyes, LuAmi, Button Eyes perform 'Simple Days' on Loose Ends.. BBC. 2019-01-03.
  21. Web site: 2019-08-08. Death. Woodpecker Wooliams.
  22. Web site: Woodpecker Wooliams - Crow. 2014-01-21. The Monitors. 2019-01-07.
  23. Web site: 2021-08-02. Avian A Laugh: Woodpecker Wooliams. Clash.

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