“Most of the sounds in [the record] are actually just made sounds,” says vocalist Ezekiel Walters on the electronic undercurrent that runs through their music. “We had the song, and then we tried different sounds until we found one we like.”
In line with their taste for innovation, Woodlock are happy to lead the charge in what’s expected from folk music. “There’s a bit of a fusion going on with both sides of the area,” Walters says. “Dance music is starting to get more in depth with its lyrics, and then folk people are starting to get more into these electronic dance sounds.”
For Walters and his two band mates, starting a band was never the intention. The group’s origins lie in a fateful mission to Africa. Walters, along with his brother and guitarist Zechariah and drummer Bowen Purcell, would play music in isolated areas of the country to attract crowds of interested onlookers, drawing them in before their father came to preach.
“We weren’t really about making music at the time,” says Walters. “It was more to raise money for this church stuff. Which is an interesting idea, because I love music but it wasn’t the main reason I did that – I didn’t do it so I could be in a band and make money doing music. It was more to do with saving up and raising money for Africa.”
It’s an attitude that has stayed with the group, with Walters and Purcell returning to Africa roughly two months ago. While you won’t hear Woodlock dropping their equivalent of Paul Simon’s Graceland any time soon, the music and folk traditions of Africa have undoubtedly tinted the group’s songwriting approach.
“When we went there it was all drums. They would have five drummers whacking cowhide drums and then everyone would just sing.” You can hear the influence of these drums on Sirens’ title track – a dramatic song featuring an unrelenting beat complete with syncopated handclaps and thumping toms.
“It was more the idea of songs we wrote that people could sing communally,” Walters says. “We make melodies and lyrics that are easy for people to learn so they can sing as a group. There’s really an energy about that when you get a whole bunch of people singing the same song. That’s something we picked up from Africa.”
Not content to play around in the same group of venues, Woodlock packed their lives into a caravan and set off on the road. Along the way, they’d busk their way into the lives of new acquaintances and hundreds of new fans. Clearly, this strategy has paid off. To date the group has sold over 26,000 EPs and played several consecutive sell-out shows. Now that Woodlock have attracted an eager listenership of their own, their goal is to share their experiences through music.
“Not all of our songs are happy – a lot of them are sad – but they’ve all got something to teach. If you read the lyrics and get the vibe, you can learn anything from our songs, because they’re all an experience that one of us would’ve had and put it down on paper.”
BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO
