Playing soul music in the truest aspect of the genre, taken for granted by most and deeply treasured by others; The Woods pride themselves on honest music with an even more honest heart. Taking equal parts Stax inspired blue-eyed soul and the song-comes-first brand of rock and roll that burgeoned from it, they mend a natural, authentic sound that harks back to Otis, Springsteen and Thin Lizzy and mingles in the same back alleys as contemporaries such as Wilco, Counting Crows, and The Hold Steady.
The Woods' latest EP bears the title "If We Never Stop Moving," a lyric from the band's semi-autobiographical song "Lions." However, the title has become more of a battle cry then the mere ending to a verse, as The Woods' short 3+ year existence has seen them put out a string of musical gems that rival the quality and catchiness of those on popular radio today. "I just want to put out music that's timeless" Batten says, "With music, there should be no gap, whether it be
age, time or genre. People will like something if it speaks to them and I want to speak to everyone…to build a relationship with our audience, not just a one night stand".
Batten and the Woods have gone out to support this "relationship" with consistent shows focusing on the tri-state area and a touring history through all major, mid Atlantic markets, playing in front of audiences as big as 7,000+ and opening for national headliners like: Gavin DeGraw, Butch Walker, Dropkick Murphy's, Pete Yorn, Army of Me, Jesse Malin, Dispatch, Nils Lofgren, Soozie Tyrell, John Eddie.
Raised on rock and soul legends, Batten's broad inspirations are showcased in his diverse song writing. Tracks like "Sad Songs" and the aforementioned "Lions" hark back to an era where musical emotion jumped off the speakers and into the listener's heart, while "Doncha Wanna be Doin' (Something New)" is the kind of fast spoken boogie that no one can help but dance to. On tracks like "Gone For Good" and "The End Of the Line," The Woods pull back to a California breeze that demands the listeners to roll down the windows and put the car in drive, all guided by Batten's steady, powerful vocals. "Ever since I was a kid, I have been obsessed with music. I crave the passion that it brings, but I think that passion has gone missing and the audience has been looking for it." Batten laments "I can only hope that we can do our part in bringing that back….to restore some faith."
The Woods look to the past for an inspiration that delivers music ready to move a new generation and they continue to prove this night after night with live shows that have gotten the adults in the room just as excited as their jaded teenagers. As Batten says, "It's nice to play a show and have a teenage kid AND their father come up and say how much they liked the set. It lets us know that we're succeeding in what we set out to do."
For more info and content visit www.andthewoods.com
FOX's Fearless Music TelevisionMarch 29, 2008
Chris Batten and The Woods - "A Little More Time"
FOX's Fearless Music TelevisionMarch 22, 2008
Chris Batten and The Woods - "Swagger"
"If We Never Stop Moving."2008 Chris Batten & The Woods Documentary
Presented by Stroube Smith / Clean Cut Kamikaze Productions
A short length documentary that presents the rock and roll/soul band Chris Batten and The Woods, focusing on their past year which saw the release of their acclaimed EP "If We Never Stop Moving.", the welcoming of a new drummer, and their live act branching throughout the northeast. Footage was shot from multiple live shows, interviews held at their rehearsal space and the Court Tavern in New Brunswick NJ, and at the photo shoot for their EP release.
Stay updated, join the email list:
Wanna help us out? Put a banner on your page! (More graphics and codes are in the blog titled "Web banners." click here)
Copy & paste this code:
