Donovan Woods
Folk / Americana
ActiveAbout
Donovan Woods is a Canadian folk and country singer-songwriter born in Sarnia, Ontario, in 1980. He began playing guitar and writing songs as a teenager. Woods' first album, "The Hold Up," was released in 2007. His second album, "The Widowmaker," was released in 2010, and his third album, "Don't Get Too Grand," was released in 2013 and garnered Woods' first Juno Award nomination for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo. His fourth album, "Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled," was released February 26, 2016, and was a longlisted nominee for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize. Woods' fifth full-length album "Both Ways" was released on April 20, 2018. At the Juno Awards of 2019, "Both Ways" won the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year. The next full-length album, "Without People," was released on November 6, 2020. At the 12th Canadian Folk Music Awards, Woods won the award for English Songwriter of the Year, and the album was nominated for Contemporary Album of the Year. Woods' work is heavily influenced by folk and blues music, and his songs feature accompaniment by acoustic guitar, slide guitar and harmonica. Woods' song "Portland, Maine" has been recorded by Tim McGraw, and his song "Leaving Nashville" has been recorded by Lady A singer Charles Kelley. Woods was signed to Warner/Chappell Nashville in 2016. He has also co-written the number one Canada Country hits "Feels Like That" by the Reklaws and "Forever's Gotta Start Somewhere" by Chad Brownlee. Donovan Woods has established himself as one of Canada's most respected singer-songwriters, with his introspective lyrics and warm, intimate vocal delivery resonating with audiences across North America.