INTERVIEW: Woodes' Debut Album ‘Crystal Ball’ Will Soundtrack Your Next Quest

Woodes. Photo supplied.

Melbourne singer Woodes has just released her debut album Crystal Ball, and to call it epic would be an understatement. I’ve been so impressed with the amount of world-building that’s gone on with this album, and Woodes has truly created her own little universe for fans to enter. The music is just one part of the Crystal Ball experience - as she explained during our conversation.

More and more, artists are pushing themselves to stand out amongst the crowd, and that was made even more important by the pandemic. Artists who had a grip on how to engage their audience outside of music had an advantage, and for Woodes, this was when she came into her own. One of my favourite music stories of the year is her building a mammoth world on Minecraft to celebrate her music, and how engaged her fans are with the world. Who wouldn’t want to play Minecraft with their favourite musician?

I was lucky enough to chat to Woodes about Crystal Ball’s conception, making and release, as well as how she has prepared for it to translate into a live setting. Woodes’ love of film and story-telling shines through in everything she does, and it’s made her an artist that captivates audiences with every piece of content she creates, music or otherwise.

Ben Madden: Firstly, can you introduce yourself and your music?

Woodes: Hi! I’m Woodes, and I currently live in Melbourne, Australia. I love films and fantasy, and usually write music that could accompany a quest. I love orchestral sounds & electronic music. 

You’re releasing your debut album, and you’ve described it as years in the making – is it exciting to be finally releasing it, or is there a sense of nervousness associated with the release?

I think there was definitely a nervous energy when I submitted the final stems into mixing/mastering, because I was putting a timestamp on it. It was committed and there was nothing more to add. This is the first big chapter for me and the narratives that link the songs are important. I put a lot of time into the track listing.

The process since then has been quite a lot longer and very unexpected. It’s got to the point where I’m overjoyed to have my community hear the full project from start to finish, as I’ve been patiently waiting, whilst putting out a song a month for a while. A lot of my personal favourites were unreleased until the very end, so it’s nice to be able to tell the quieter in-between moments. 

There were 40 songs written for Crystal Ball – how did you decide what would be included on the album?

I had them all in a big playlist and have my trusted ears-council made up of friends and producers I’ve worked with. Because a big part of this album was to be able to tour and play it live overseas, I went into it with that in mind - catering the arrangements so we could have a really big live show that felt powerful and had valleys and peaks. I worked with my bandmates structuring the final track listing. We sat around the living room and discussed different shades and which ones are inseparable and which ones are stand alone. There was a lot of thought in it. 

You worked with both Scott Effman and Alex Somers on the record – can you tell me how they influenced the album’s sound?

Scott and I had worked together from the early stages of Woodes - he and I had only ever written twice together, and we were strangers on the first day, where we wrote Dots - the second being another favourite Still So Young. I knew there was something magic to the collaboration.

I also knew, embarking on an album, I’d love to do a full week together and see how many parts we could make that linked. It was a lot of fun, and we talked and sang so much that I was running out of voice by the end! We meet in the middle of a lot of things and I’m so honoured to have his work on this album. Songs with Scott happen effortlessly. I remember on the day we wrote How Long I’d Wait we went for a drive to meet friends for dinner and we were pumping the volume so loud, belting every word. It just felt like this beautiful moment before showing anyone else.

Alex Somers & I wrote Distant Places, which was the last song added to the album. He’s one of my production/composer/writer heroes and whilst in LA we had a day together in his beautiful studio. It was very special to be able to play his piano and explore the mallet percussion. The song has become the bridge between the first and second half of the vinyl, which I love. 

I wanted to ask about the world building associated with the album – the Minecraft world in particular was something I enjoyed seeing. Is it important to you to give fans an experience that builds on the music?

Whenever I write music, I imagine different terrains and places, often somewhere far away from the studio or room I’m in. Often these are mountains or deserts, or underwater spaces.

A game like Minecraft has generated biomes which matched perfectly with the map I had in my head of these songs. When Victoria (my state) went into lockdown, we went to Minecraft and created my entire album song-for-song in the game.

In the real world all of my plans slipped away & I had limited control over what would happen. Instead, we turned to the virtual. My community helped out - we made so many castles and special sites around the server. I loved the process of transparency & getting to know my community a lot better. Everyone was checking in on one another, which is really important. 

Do you consider yourself an artist or a musician first? I feel like your artistry extends beyond simply making music – do you consider this an accurate statement?

I’ve always set out to create an alter-ego in Woodes. It combines my love of film, styling, music & arranging. From the start it’s been multi-faceted. I’m across production, I write my own songs, I’m across every element. But sometimes that is a lot under the one ‘artist’ umbrella.

This year I’ve had a lot of really good time to think and focus on what my absolute favourite parts are. I like creating a universe around my music, and the interaction between my community at the live shows.

Whenever I get a bit too bogged down by the ever-growing output of an artist, I remind myself that first and foremost, music is my favourite thing in the world - and everything stems from the songs. I sit back down at the piano and all the other elements slip away.

How do you decide on who you will collaborate with, and how do you bring people together for a united vision? Is it something you’ve always been able to do, or is it a learned skill?

I think you can really trust your gut on that. Plus, you learn from experience. I’ve always loved working on creative projects with friends or creative people I meet. Ever since I was little, we were always making things.

I suppose now, often you can see other people’s work ahead of time via socials or websites. Often, it's just that first conversation & a shared enthusiasm.

Over the years I often work with the same people around me, but for this album I did a lot of writing with artists and producers I’d just met. I do love that part of the job though. It’s quite remarkable to sit in a room and convert things real-time into a collective song by the end of the day. I can’t believe that job exists!!

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Finally, what are your next few moves, both personally and music-wise?

It’s definitely a funny release where we’d usually be embarking on shows, but it’s only just opening up here in Victoria. I did write this album with the live show in mind, so it feels somewhat strange to just let it go. I’ve loved hearing back from everyone so far though. It all still feels very real.

Music wise, it won’t be too long until there’s something new to share. I’ve been working away from my home on lots of new things. Personally, right now though, I’m looking forward to watching The Crown and having a nice time in my garden unwinding. 

Follow Woodes on Facebook here, Twitter here and Instagram here.