Monolith Festival artist: Woodhands

September 12, 7:14 PMIndie Rock ExaminerAlli Sands

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Photo courtesy of Paper Bag Records

Even with Canadian blood coursing through their veins, the duo of Woodhands (Dan Werb and Paul Banwatt) were still struggling to fight off the cold, rainy weather at the Monolith Festival. Yet as soon as these two started talking about their music, the climate ceased to matter.

Trying to take electronica to a place that’s more than just the bass-heavy music that people hear when they go out clubbing, Woodhands is really shooting to take their music beyond the confines of the dominant paradigm. “We’re really trying to go beyond, even thematically it’s not just about boy meets girl,” Werb explains, even though Banwatt insists, “Every time Dan breaks up with a girl, there’s a new album.”

“Music you hear at raves or clubs is so cold and unfeeling,” Banwatt comments, “We like to immediately connect with the audience.” Feeding off the connection they make with the listeners at their shows is a huge part of Woodhands’ creative process, “We try to write music that’s hard to play live. It keeps us nimble and it keeps the audience interested,” Werb says as Banwatt adds, “We make a lot of mistakes on stage but we’ve written songs that have come from mistakes, both one from the stage and in our personal lives.”

Flying back to Toronto from Colorado tomorrow morning to work on a new album, hopefully to be released in January, Woodhands is no stranger to life on the road. Having performed in Japan and China this year, Werb says, “To be flown halfway around the world because of your music really gives you a new perspective. I tend to lose sight of all the fun to be had on the road. It’s otherworldly and liberating.”