Woodhands
Encyclopedia
Woodhands is a Canadian electro-pop band. Based in Toronto
, Ontario
, the band currently consists of musicians Dan Werb (synth/vocals) and Paul Banwatt (drums/vocals). They work closely with producer Roger Leavens at Boombox Sound in Toronto. Past members and guest collaborators have included Roselle Healy, Pat Placzek, Maylee Todd
, Laura Barrett
, Taylor Trowbridge, Chris von Szombathy, Elan Benaroch, Tyler Greentree and Jess Conn-Potegal. In an interview, Werb said they called the band Woodhands because he "wanted to let everyone know that there was an organic element to the ambient electronic music I was making."
Werb had previously pursued different incarnations of the band in Vancouver and Montreal
before meeting Banwatt through their shared membership in Henri Fabergé and the Adorables
. They began playing and recording together as Woodhands in October 2006, and signed to Paper Bag Records
in the fall of 2007 after playing the Pop Montreal
festival.
The duo finished the recording of Heart Attack in early 2008 with producer Roger Leavens at Boombox Sound in Toronto. Heart Attack was released on Paper Bag Records on April 1, 2008. After the release of Heart Attack, Werb and Banwatt toured across Canada and internationally, including shows in China and Japan, to support the album. In reference to Heart Attack, Woodhands said in an interview: “With the album, we just wanted that immediacy of emotion and that urgency of not being able to hold something in,” Werb says. “Just that sense of ‘this has to be expressed’ — there is no holding back.”
In 2009 Woodhands took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic
. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had Dan and Paul describing an illegal outdoor show at the Don Valley Brickworks. In 2011, Werb also participated in the National Parks Project
, collaborating with musicians Sebastien Grainger
and Jennifer Castle
, and filmmaker Catherine Martin, to produce and score a short documentary film
about Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
in Quebec
.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the band currently consists of musicians Dan Werb (synth/vocals) and Paul Banwatt (drums/vocals). They work closely with producer Roger Leavens at Boombox Sound in Toronto. Past members and guest collaborators have included Roselle Healy, Pat Placzek, Maylee Todd
Maylee Todd
Maylee Todd is a Canadian independent musician based in Toronto, Ontario. She released her first solo album, Choose Your Own Adventure, on the Do Right Music label in June, 2010. Todd’s band, Pegwee Power, includes Andrew Scott Eric Woolston and Chris Kettlewell...
, Laura Barrett
Laura Barrett
Laura Barrett is a Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter, best known for incorporating the kalimba into her music. In addition to her solo work, Barrett has also performed as a member of The Hidden Cameras, Henri Fabergé and the Adorables, Woodhands and Sheezer....
, Taylor Trowbridge, Chris von Szombathy, Elan Benaroch, Tyler Greentree and Jess Conn-Potegal. In an interview, Werb said they called the band Woodhands because he "wanted to let everyone know that there was an organic element to the ambient electronic music I was making."
Werb had previously pursued different incarnations of the band in Vancouver and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
before meeting Banwatt through their shared membership in Henri Fabergé and the Adorables
Henri Fabergé and the Adorables
Henri Fabergé and the Adorables are a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2005 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:Henri Fabergé and the Adorables formed in 2005 and is a musical collective including members of The Bicycles, Born Ruffians, Spitfires & Mayflowers, Woodhands, The Rural Alberta...
. They began playing and recording together as Woodhands in October 2006, and signed to Paper Bag Records
Paper Bag Records
Paper Bag Records is a Canadian independent record label and artist-management company, founded in 2002 and based in Toronto, Ontario.-History:...
in the fall of 2007 after playing the Pop Montreal
Pop Montreal
Pop Montreal is an annual music festival occurring in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the early fall, usually at the end of September or the beginning of October. More than 400 acts are scheduled to play in more than 50 venues across the city, mostly located in the Mile End area...
festival.
The duo finished the recording of Heart Attack in early 2008 with producer Roger Leavens at Boombox Sound in Toronto. Heart Attack was released on Paper Bag Records on April 1, 2008. After the release of Heart Attack, Werb and Banwatt toured across Canada and internationally, including shows in China and Japan, to support the album. In reference to Heart Attack, Woodhands said in an interview: “With the album, we just wanted that immediacy of emotion and that urgency of not being able to hold something in,” Werb says. “Just that sense of ‘this has to be expressed’ — there is no holding back.”
In 2009 Woodhands took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic
City Sonic
City Sonic is a documentary series about Toronto-based musicians and the places that influenced their music. The first five City Sonic films were previewed at Toronto's 2009 North by North East Music and Film Festival.-Films:...
. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had Dan and Paul describing an illegal outdoor show at the Don Valley Brickworks. In 2011, Werb also participated in the National Parks Project
National Parks Project
The National Parks Project is a Canadian music and film project. Released in 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Parks of Canada system, the project sent three Canadian musicians and a filmmaker to each of 13 Canadian national parks, one in each province and...
, collaborating with musicians Sebastien Grainger
Sebastien Grainger
Sebastien Alexandre Grainger from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada is a Canadian singer and musician, best known as drummer and singer of the dance-punk duo Death from Above 1979 and the singer and guitarist for his current band, Sebastien Grainger and The Mountains...
and Jennifer Castle
Jennifer Castle
Jennifer Castle is a Canadian songwriter, based in Toronto, Ontario.She released two albums under the name Castlemusic before signing to Flemish Eye for her third album, which she released under her own name but titled Castlemusic....
, and filmmaker Catherine Martin, to produce and score a short documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
The Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve is a national park reserve located in the eastern area of Quebec, Canada, on the north shore of Gulf of St. Lawrence. It features the Mingan Archipelago, a chain of around 40 islands....
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
Albums
- Woodhands (2005)
- Heart Attack (2008)
- Remorsecapade (2010)
EPs
- I Wasn't Made For Fighting EP (2008)
- Dancer EP (2009)
- iTunes Live Session (2009)